Frozen Heart
by W.H Pseudonym
Summary: Years have past since the thaw. Anna and Elsa have started their own families; they've grown up. But history begins to repeat itself after a horrible incident; and the frozen heart that started it has no intention of ending it. !(On hold until further notice.)!
1. Prologue

_Prologue _

Hardly anyone knew about the noise that occurred in the wee hours of morning. Many would think it was silent; that only the sleepy townspeople awakening to start a new day, trying to lessen their sound as not to wake the still dreaming children were the ones to cause noise. But only sailors heard the loud commands of their captains before their ships left port; only the shop owners heard the bustle as supplies were set out. The creaking of old wooden doors opening in the town center seemed loud in the silent square- but the noise was dim compared to the restless wind whistling through the trees.

Summer in Arendelle was peaceful, as it had been for the last sixteen years. It had become a place where many travelers would come to relax; to escape reality and enjoy the calm atmosphere. As well, the rumor of the Snow Queen intrigued foreigners enough to visit her homeland.

To the children born the last few years, the tale of the Snow Queen would sound like a silly myth. Just a fable, as common as the ones they were told before bed. They had been told the story, oh of course, but very few believed it. The beloved Queen Elsa's power of ice and snow was simply common knowledge; to be told that she once was told to hide it was unthinkable; the fact that it had once been a shock to the people was even more so.

'Since the day children began walking, Queen Elsa welcomed them to skate in her courtyard. It was frozen solid a great deal of the time; even in the long summer months. The Queen's gift had never seemed odd to the young ones- it was instead as interesting and mysterious as the trolls they had been told about once as well. They all could watch the Queen's magic for hours, have they ever been presented the chance.

Of course, there were children that were far more familiar with the Queen's gift than others. Those few that lived in the castle; the ones that were born and raised within the walls, knew as much about the Queen's powers as she did herself.

Princess Anna, the Queen's only younger sister, had married an ice harvester only a few years after the "thaw." He was a commoner; and compared to her former fiancée (whom the royal family refused to speak of), lacked much of a family background. But yet, the princess loved him, and the Queen gave her blessing.

Another two years past, and they welcomed their first child. The boy, Cyril, would only be the first of three; he was followed years later by his sister; Elise, and brother; Sver.

But Queen Elsa herself married as well; to Lord Tomas- a man from another kingdom. She had met him at Anna and Kristoff's wedding reception; and after quite a long time of hesitation from the Queen, she fell in love with him. Two years after Anna's first son was born and the marriage of Elsa and Tomas, The Queen gave birth to an heir; Princess Elsa the Second. To differ her from her the Queen: she was nicknamed "Ina."

Like her mother, the Princess was born with the control over ice and snow. Despite the shock upon learning her daughter shared the gift; Elsa encouraged it- refusing to allow the same thing that had happened to her happen to her daughter. Ina was skilled, and her powers grew quick and strong. She was carefree with them, playful.

Ina was barely two years old when her title as Future Queen was stripped, as her parents were blessed with a son; Prince Tomas the second (the same as Ina, he was simply nicknamed "Tom").

The Royal family was joyful; their home always filled with light and love. Often they considered themselves as one whole family, instead of two. Anna cared for Elsa's children with the love of a parent, and Elsa did the same with Anna's.

They were happy.

* * *

><p>In the early hours of a summer morning; while the royal family slept; Kristoff slid off the back of a horse, the familiar feeling of hard stone appearing under his feet as he landed. He put a light pat on the horse's neck before leaving its side.<p>

He hadn't planned on leaving the castle when Anna and the children were sleeping. Kristoff had wanted to tell them, perhaps even bring them along. His kids had only seen his childhood-home a few times in their lives; the youngest, Sver, not at all. The only beings that confidently knew the location of the Valley of the Living Rock were Kristoff and Sven.

Years before; Sven, Kristoff's best friend, had passed away. He had lived an exceptionally long life, of course, but Kristoff felt as though he had lost his own brother when the reindeer passed away. Though Kristoff had eventually accepted it, he had never bonded with another animal the same way. He supposed the horse he had used today, a large, dark horse that his daughter had nicknamed Gunther, was the closest thing he could call to a "favorite."

Kristoff manoeuvered easily through the Valley of the Living Rock. He avoiding stepping on any boulders he suspected were family, and avoided the hot springs all together. It was exactly as he remembered, and he almost smiled at the though. Soon enough though, he found himself in the Valley Center.

Most of the trolls were in their troll appearance, but a few remained in their boulder state. The Valley hadn't changed at all since Kristoff moved into the palace with Anna, nor since the last time he visited. It was still a dark grey slab of raised stone; patches of grass and moss popping up occasionally.

"Kristoff!" A familiar voice called, leading him to spin around to find the source. His eyes soon fell upon Grand Pabbie, and he sighed with relief. He hurried over to the old troll, and crouched down in front of him.

"Why Kristoff," the troll tried to make his voice light, but the worry in his tone was too evident to hide. "Look how old you've gotten."

The man tried to scowl at the comment, but he couldn't seem to get a hold of it. He was far too concerned; Grand Pabbie had sent a notice asking for Kristoff to come visit him. That part wasn't strange- whenever the trolls wanted to see him or the kids, they would send a letter. It was only what Grand Pabbie had written in a poor handwriting that worried Kristoff.

_It shall happen again. Do not tell until we have told you_.

He had no idea what the crazy pebble might have been talking about, but wasn't taking any chances. He had no way to know what Grand Pabbie was talking about, but knew that he was serious. As soon as the night guards had switched shifts, Kristoff had snuck away. If he had done so during the day, Anna would question him. Heck, she might even follow him. This was much safer.

"Grand Pabbie," Kristoff rested one elbow on his knee. "What's going on? _What's_ happening again? Why was it so important to keep it a secret? Why-"

The troll held up a hand to stop Kristoff's questions. "I feel that another winter, one born of a curse, will happen in Arendelle. And I know who will cause it."

After a second of silence, he lifted his hand and a slow shine of blue lifted into the air. The man watched it as it took the shape of a woman, who in turn shaped a snowball in her hands. The magic looked as though it were made of a blue flame. Kristoff's gaze was stuck to it, as though the magic put him in the type of trance.

"Kristoff, I can see her heart is of ice." Grand Pabbie told him in a hushed, urgent voice. The man glanced at him in surprise, but then turned back to the magic. The image suddenly changed slightly; the women's spine straightened, as though she had grown bored with her game. The snowball slid from her grasp, and the blue flame darkened to a threating shade- very close to black. A spot, just over were her heart would be, pulsed an icy blue. Red spikes shot out around her; pointing neither at her nor away from her. She raised her arms ever so slowly, her fingers curled into claws. The spikes grew in size around her, until the silhouette of the women could no longer be seen. A strange gurgling laughter rung in Kristoff's ears, and he winced at the sound. The image suddenly evaporated as Grand Pabbie sighed.

"Ice . . ." Kristoff mumbled ever so slowly, as though he was trying to process the information. ". . . in her heart?"

Grand Pabbie shook his head, and moved towards Kristoff. "No." He said, and rested a hand on the man's shoulder. "No, her heart doesn't hold ice the same way your Anna's had." He looked up at Kristoff, his eyes sad and tired. "Her heart _is_ ice. It is cold, and powerful, and dangerous, and unloving. Though her heart may be made of flesh and blood, it is incapable of compassion. It is ice."

Cold. Powerful. Dangerous. Unloving. Kristoff didn't understand. _Who could he be talking about? He had already said it wasn't Anna, so who_-

"_Elsa_?" Kristoff gasped, his eyes widening. No, that was impossible. Elsa wasn't dangerous, and in no way unloving. But . . . she had made the winter. Unintentionally of course, but yet . . .

"No Kristoff, not the Queen." Grand Pabbie said; a hint of relief in his tone. "Queen Elsa is very much able to feel compassion, and warmth, and love. It is not her that I see will bring us another winter, but another."

He glanced at Kristoff, clasping his stone hands together. The men starred at each other, Kristoff with a hint of impatience, before Grand Pabbie spoke again. "Kristoff, Ina . . . Ina will send Arendelle into another unexpected winter. It is her heart that is ice."

Ina.

Ina, the nine-year-old princess of Arendelle; The Daughter of Queen Elsa and Lord Tomas; the girl who had tried to fight the non-existent monster in her closet with a broom stick; the child who had sat with her cousin and built twenty flower crowns; was going to send Arendelle into another eternal winter.

Kristoff blinked. "That can't be right." He decided. "No . . . no that has to be wrong, Grand Pabbie." Kristoff lifted his eyes, which had fallen to his lap, back to the elder troll. "No, I mean- _sure_, Ina can be stubborn and demanding sometimes, but she's just a _little girl_. Her powers . . . she'd never use them like that. Even by accident! She has better control that Elsa did at that age, she-"

"Kristoff," Grand Pabbie said firmly. "I _know _that Ina will be the one to cause this. You must warn the Queen and Ina herself- she might not even be aware-"

Kristoff shook his head and stood up before the troll even had a chance to finish. "Ina wouldn't do something like that, Pabbie. She's a kid, she'd never do that." He defended his niece, shaking his head as if to get rid of a bad dream, before he turned and began walking the way he came.

"Kristoff!" Grand Pabbie yelled after him. "Kristoff, come back here!"

"Tell everyone I say hi and I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to stay longer." Kristoff called back instead, half turning so he could look back.

"Kristoff!"

But he had already turned around again, disappearing from the village center. A few trolls tried to grab at him, to say hello in their friendly nature, but he waved them away and mumbled out excuses.

_Ina. He really thought it was Ina_. Kristoff grimaced. _Grand Pabbie was just wrong this time. He was wrong about Elsa; about taking Anna's memories away. He had been wrong before- it was okay. Maybe he had been thinking of the winter before he fell asleep, and reality mixed with a dream . . ._

Kristoff shook his head again as he made his way to Gunther. He climbed onto the horse's back, his mind still racing, and took off towards the castle just as the sun streaked the sky with a bright ray of orange.

"Ina would never do that." Kristoff stated aloud, though no one was around to hear him except Gunther. "Grand Pabbie was wrong."

But oh no, it wasn't Grand Pabbie that had been wrong. It was Kristoff.

* * *

><p><strong>*Gasp* By any chance was that a plot twist? (can plot twists even happen in the prologue...? Let's say yes) <strong>

**Hello! So, as you can tell because you just read it, I have finally posted the first chapter of my new frozen "sequel" fic! Yay! It's going to be from Anna and Elsa's perspectives from now on mostly, so no more Kristoff thoughts. (I only used him for this first bit because it only made sense for him to go see Pabbie I think. I don't know). **

**Th****is takes place 16 years after frozen, the main story will take place seven years after this. I wasn't really happy with it, but oh well. It was the only way I could think of to enter into the rest of the story. **

**Okay, thank you for checking this out, I really appreciate it! (I'm really sorry if I made any mistakes)**


	2. Trip

_Seven Years later_

"_Today_?"

In the early days of July, Princess Anna had expected the summer to go as the many summers past had. She might sit in the grass and talk about the oddest things with her husband, or maybe they would go on a boat ride together. Perhaps she would go on walks with her daughter; who was growing into quite a beautiful young lady. Maybe horse race with her eldest son; who had already grown into a man (though she refused to admit it). Anna would even be happy to go on a scavenger hunt with her younger son- she knew how much the boy loved them.

But though she wasn't sure what she'd do with her children and husband, Anna was sure that she would spend time with them. _Of course _she would spend time with her family.

But her family included her sister; Queen Elsa. Anna was sure that she would spend time with her sister as well; she saw her every day for goodness sake! Anna didn't think that would change. She thought she'd wake up every day; see her sister at breakfast- and random times throughout the day, of course.

But she didn't expect to be wrong.

"Yes. Today." Elsa confirmed, placing another one of her dresses in the suitcase on her bed. Her hair, so blond it was nearly white, was kept tied up in an intricate bun- a style she had begun using shortly after having her first child. A few stray stands hung near her eyebrow; a few already streaked with gray hair. Elsa's face had already begun to show her age- a few, small wrinkles curling at the edges of her eyes and mouth. Despite this, she was still as lovely and pretty as she was when she was just a girl.

"But . . ." Anna stuttered, looking for words. Her own hair was streaked with white as well- and though it stood out more on her darker hair shade then Elsa's light, only a few strands had truly lost its color. She still styled her hair in two braids- reflecting her still childlike personality. Age marks hadn't quite reached her yet- though creases had begun to form near her eyes.

"Elsa, you _can't _go. You can't just- just get up and leave! Besides! Its summer- Sver's birthday is in just a few weeks; he'll be crushed if you aren't there! And we'll miss you." The younger women gushed, resting one of her hands on the suitcase lid so her sister couldn't close it.

The Queen closed her eyes, and brought in a breath through her nose. "Anna," She said calmly, once again opening her eyes so she could look at her sister. "I've already told you. Our trade partners have been . . . concerned-" Anna tried to ignore the hesitation before Elsa had continued speaking. "-about my ability to rule. Even with Tomas at my side, they don't think I'm fit."

Elsa's husband, Tomas, had originally lived in a small Denmark kingdom called Leighton. Due to their marriage- Leighton became the top priority trade partner. No representatives from the small kingdom had ever visited Arendelle, and Tomas had no other family whom would visit for personal reasons. Only recently, letters had been arriving discussing Elsa's ability to rule. The King had wanted Elsa to step down, and have Arendelle and Leighton form one kingdom. In the best interest of Arendelle, he had said.

Elsa and Tomas had planned a trip to Leighton to pacify the King- not just so he'd have confident in Elsa's abilities, but also because she feared he would try and take Arendelle by force. Anna didn't care for politics much, and no official decision making was her business- so nothing bothered her except how long Elsa had planned to stay.

"But _two months_!?" The younger women gasped, clutching at her heart as though it might break at the mere thought.

"Six weeks." Elsa corrected.

"Who cares? You'll still be gone!" Anna complained, wrapping her arms around her sister in a hug. Elsa returned it, though she was sighing.

"Anna, please? It'll be fine. It won't seem so long once we get back- I promise." Elsa tried to sooth her, but Anna's lip was still set out in a pout as though she was a five-year-old girl and not a forty-one year old women.

"But . . ." Anna searched for words again, pulling out of Elsa's hug and wrapping her arms around her torso. "You can't just _leave_. I mean, what about Tom and Ina?"

Elsa's shoulders tensed a little, but Anna didn't notice. The Queen slapped a tight smile onto her lips and turned back to her suitcase to straighten the clothes piles that hadn't needed attention. "Tom's coming with us. We thought it would be a good idea for the King to see what good hands Arendelle will be in when I stop ruling."

Anna didn't see how this was a good idea. Oh yes, Tom was a bright, smart, charming boy; but childish. He was a lot like Anna herself, just perhaps not as excitable. He thought the craziest ideas were the best ones- and was determined to fulfill them.

"But what about Ina?" Anna asked innocently, not realizing that this was the very question Elsa had wanted to avoid. Elsa's shoulders tensed up again.

"Well," The Queen said, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face before tucking it behind her ear. "I thought it would be a good idea if Ina stayed here. There's no real need for her to come along, and if she's safe in Arendelle, I won't have to worry about her." She tried to shrug like it was no big deal, but the stress behind her eyes bled through.

Anna saw it, and immediately rushed forward to put her hands on Elsa's shoulders. "Elsa, something happened with Ina." It wasn't a question- just a statement. The younger woman had no idea what could have happened, but she had sensed the tension between her niece and sister the last few days whenever they were in the same room together. Elsa nodded and hung her head.

"Ina's wanted us to change the royal line." Elsa sounded a little defeated. "She thinks that she deserves it- _wants it_- more than Tom does. She doesn't think it's fair that he gets to be heir even though she's older." Elsa glanced up at Anna, wondering if she would understand.

Honestly, Anna could see where Ina was coming from. The girl had been born first- more than two years before her brother. She had been next in line, but the spot was taken from her as soon as Tom entered the world. Ina was always called "the little Queen" when she was a baby, and was _very_ confused when the nickname suddenly stopped. But she was sixteen now- she was old enough to understand why Tom was heir.

"She's been really persistent lately, and whenever we tell her no . . . and she gets angry . . ." Elsa's eyes slid to her own hands, and Anna could immediately connect the dots.

The same way Elsa's did, Ina's powers got a little out of control when she was angry. Whenever she threw a temper tantrum as a child, her punishment would be cleaning the away frost that had been created when she stomped her foot.

"Oh Elsa . . ." Anna cooed, pulling her sister back into her arms. Elsa returned the hug, feeling weaker now that she had expressed her worries.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do with her." Elsa admitted, mumbling into Anna's hair.

* * *

><p>"Goodbye Auntie Elsa!" Sver called, wrapping his seven-year-old arms around his aunt's neck as soon as she had kneeled to his level. His redish-brown hair stuck up in spikes, and tickled Elsa's cheek as they hugged.<p>

The Queen and Lord had rushed to find the rest of the family and tell them about the trip. Within the hour, they managed to get everyone on the docks to say goodbye, and for the men to help carry the trunks and suitcases onto the boat.

"Oh," Elsa laughed, pulling out of the hug after a moment while still holding onto the boy's arms. "Goodbye, Sev. I'm so sorry we're going to miss your birthday." They had explained to the boy earlier about the length of the trip. "But you'll be good while we're gone, right? 'Listen to your Mama and Papa?"

The boy nodded; his brown eyes truthful. "Yep. But I expect a good snowstorm when you get home. Okay?"

Elsa agreed. A smile broke across Sver's little face, and he kissed his Aunt's cheek one more time before moving on to say goodbye to his uncle and cousin.

Elise found Elsa next, and the two hugged. "Have a safe trip." The fourteen-year-old said as she pulled away. Elsa tugged on one of Elise's thick, light-brown braids, which led both of them to giggle.

"You too; listen to your Mama and Papa. And take your nose out of a book for ten minutes so you can enjoy a little of summer." The Queen joked. Elise laughed, and agreed to her terms. She too, moved on to say goodbye to Tomas, while Sver was still talking to Tom.

Kristoff, who had been chatting with Tomas before the kids said their goodbyes, walked over to Elsa and gave his sister-in-law a hug. "Have a good trip." He said politely, keeping their hug short and sweet. Elsa nodded her head.

"Yes, we will, thank you. Take care of my sister." Elsa responded, glancing over Kristoff's shoulder at Anna, whom was waiting to say goodbye to everyone as well. Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck like a nervous little boy afraid to speak to his crush. Elsa always thought that was sweet- how smitten Kristoff was with his wife after all this time.

"I will." Kristoff promised, chuckling lightly while rubbing his stubble covered cheek. Elsa patted his shoulder as he walked away.

Cyril, who had been loading the rest of the luggage onto the ship, jogged down the gangplank and wrapped his arms around his tiny-in-comparison aunt. "Goodbye and farewell, Aunt Elsa!" Cyril called out in what sounded like a cheer. His hair, which hung in gold curls around his temple and neck, tickled Elsa's cheek as Sver's hair had. Elsa laughed, and patted her nephew on the back.

"See you soon, Cyril." She giggled, pulling away and tilting her head back so she could look at him in the eye. "Don't get any taller while I'm gone." Cyril was at least a full head taller than Elsa, and was even taller than his father. He was thinner though, but not by much. He had almost as much muscle as Kristoff.

"Just for that, I'm gonna' grow another inch or two." Cyril said playfully, stretching up on his tiptoes to exhibit his point. He then planted a quick kiss on her cheek, before bouncing off to say his goodbyes to his uncle. Elsa shook her head, laughing, as she watched him go.

Anna finally reached Elsa, and they hugged tightly. "I'm going to miss you." Anna whimpered, sounding as though she had already been crying. Elsa laughed weakly, although she could feel tears spring up in her own eyes. It would be the longest they've gone without seeing each other since the thaw, and that kind of scared Elsa. She held onto Anna a moment longer, before pulling away and holding onto her from the elbows.

"Take care of yourself." Elsa demanded, trying to hide the tone that usually accompanied her crying. She sucked in a shaky breath, which probably didn't help her 'I-am-not-crying' vibe. "And Kristoff, and the kids . . ." Despite her efforts to hide them, a single sob bubbled out of Elsa's chest, which was soon met by giggles from both women.

"Don't cry." Anna soothed, though her stained cheeks showed that she hadn't taken her own advice. This led to more laughter that was mixed with one or two unwanted crying hiccups.

The sisters managed to dry their cheeks enough to get in a proper goodbye, before Anna and Elsa separated to stand next to their husbands. Kristoff wrapped an arm around Anna's waist, and Tomas took Elsa's hand.

"Wait a minute," Tomas stuttered, looking around the port. "Where did Ina- she was here before, where did she go?" The family then realized he was right; Ina wasn't in the small bundle of people. She had been their earlier, when everyone was waiting for Cyril.

Tom- whom was identical to his father; with the same dark hair color though with his mother's eyes- raised an eyebrow. "Did she leave?"

Tomas's dark eyes were filled with concern as he gazed around the dock, and then panic once he realized there was no sign of her.

"She's-" But before he could even voice his worry, a voice from on the ship cut him off.

"I'm right here!" Ina leaned over the edge of the ship, revealing her hiding place, though it wasn't much of one. Her voice was filled with irritation, and so was her expression. Her features, so much like her mother's, were twisted into a scowl. Her brown eyes -just like her father's- were so dark they were basically black. They contrasted heavily with her pale skin and hair that was even fairer than her mother's. She wore it in a single, loose braid down her back- just because she wasn't allowed to wear it down.

"It's not like I was hiding or anything." She mumbled.

Tomas sighed in relief, and motioned for her to come down. "Come say goodbye, I want a big hug from my little girl before we go." He said, pulling Elsa closer to him. Ina stood up straighter, her hands grasping the hand rail tightly.

"I'm coming along." She stated, as though it was the most obvious fact in the world. She shrugged. "Mama said that they wanted to meet the heir, and here I am." She motioned to herself. Elsa and Tomas both blinked in surprise.

"Ina," Elsa said, her voice beginning to fill with irritation as well. Ina had never discussed this heir business in front of her cousins before- not even in front of her brother. "We've talked about this. You are _not _the heir. Tom is. Now, _please_, get off the boat and come say goodbye."

Anna hadn't seen Elsa suppress anger for a long time, but she assumed this is what is looked like. Her eyes slightly squinted, her law set. Tomas had an expression that was almost identical to it.

"But that's _not fair_." Ina pronounced each word slowly, her sixteen-year-old eyes burning with anger. "I'm older! _I'm _the one that should he heir- not him! But he gets to rule, just because he's a boy? That's a stupid rule and you know it!" She yelled. Anna was stunned. She had seen Ina annoyed many times. But she had never seen her as angry as she was.

"Ina, stop it." Elsa said, her voice ringing with authority. Elsa balled her free hand into a fist, and Tomas pulled his own hand out if her grasp- an automatic response he had learned from all the times Elsa was upset to prevent his hand from getting frosted up. Anna wondered how Ina had managed not to freeze the entire ship over with a thick layer of ice.

"No. Why should I?" Ina's voice held defiance, and her expression held rebellion.

Elsa opened her mouth to say something, yell perhaps, but never got a chance. Tomas stepped forward then, half in front of Elsa as though to block her from something. "Because we are your parents are want you to stop making a fool of yourself in front of your family." He hissed out, as though he wanted to lower his voice so only she would hear. Ina stopped short. She had expected to argue with her mother- not her father, who was usually the peace maker. "Now get off that boat, come say goodbye, and then go to your room." Tomas finished, locking eyes with his daughter.

Everyone else stood stunned, and a little embarrassed. They had seen Ina bicker with parents more than a few times, but never had she yelled at them before. Now that they had seen it happened, they felt like the shouldn't have- like it was something between that family and no one else. Cyril cleared his throat loudly, enough to make Anna peel her eyes away from the scene before them and glance at him. Sver kicked at the wooden planks beneath his feet.

It seemed as though Tomas speaking up had cooled Ina off somehow, or slowed her enough not to be able to think of a response. Slowly, like the scolded child she was, she walked off the gangplank to the dock, and lowered her eyes to her feet.

"Goodbye." She said weakly, her voice no longer holding any of the fire that it formally had. She turned as though to rush past everyone, but couldn't get away before Tomas grabbed her arm. She winced at the contact, as though she didn't want to hear him yell at her again, but he surprised her by pulling her into a hug.

"You disappointed me," He said quietly, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. "I just want you to make me proud. Promise me, Sweetheart, that you'll make me proud."

Ina whimpered. She didn't want to hear nice things from her father, especially after what she- and then what he- had said before. "I promise." She said anyway. Because as much as she hated to admit it, making promises felt like the only way to hold onto something.

Tomas pulled away after a moment and smiled at his daughter. He kissed her forehead, before nudging her towards Elsa. When the two hugged, it was awkward and tense- neither of them over the fight that had occurred. Perhaps the time away would be good for them; give them a chance to think things over and calm down a little.

"Goodbye, Mama." Ina said weakly, raising her eyes to Elsa only for a second. Elsa nodded in response, and then glanced at Tom. The thirteen year old quickly gave his sister a sloppy hug, one that she returned only about halfway. Then the two pulled apart, and Ina was finally able to turn and run off in the direction of the castle. Everyone watched her go.

"Have a safe trip," Anna called up to the three as they scaled the gangplank, though she was already moving to follow Ina. "See you in six weeks!" She took Sver's hand as she walked, and they both waved. Elise waved upwards as well, and Cyril lifted his hand before jogging back down the dock.

"See you." Elsa said quietly, lifting her hand in a small wave. After a moment, she pulled her son into a hug, though one of her hands was still clasped tightly in her husband's grasp.

Maybe time would be good for them. But, who knows, maybe not.

**Hi. First actually chapter, woohoo! It's kind of long too. Wow. **

**Thanks for checking this out- follow the story, favorite it, leave a review…whatever! Thanks for checking out "Frozen Heart," and I hope you liked it so far.**

**(And in case anyone was wondering, and ages of the kids are: Cyril (18), Ina (16), Elise (14), Tom (13), and Sver (7-almost 8). Sver's name, I pronounce it "Sev-ER" by the way)**


	3. Storm

"I'm worried about her, Tomas." Elsa mumbled, watching the dark, choppy water slap against the side of the ship. It had only been a few hours since they had left the dock- but Elsa had spent every minute fretting over her daughter. She knew how persistent Ina was- how passionate she was about wanting to be Queen. Elsa even admired how much Ina wanted the position. But becoming Queen had passed being simply determined to do it, and instead had become an obsession.

"I am too." Tomas admitted, pulling Elsa closer to him. Tomas's hair had been picked up in the wind, and blew back against his forehead. The same went for Elsa's few loose strands. She rested her forehead against his chest and sighed. She couldn't understand why Ina was being so difficult. She was old enough to know how things worked; to push aside her own feelings over the matter and just accept it.

A loud rumble of thunder brought Elsa and Tomas from their thoughts, and they both turned in the direction of it. They had been traveling underneath thin grey clouds for a while now; but large, dark storm clouds began to move over them- looming long and threating overhead. "Rough waters ahead!" One of the crew members called.

"Tomas . . ." Elsa's voice was uneasy, and she gripped her husband's arm tightly. She had never been comfortable on boats since the death of her parents; and being stuck in storm at sea frightened. She glanced around the deck- not at all comforted by all the rushing around the crew was doing. She tried to find Tom- an automatic response she had developed whenever something worried her and her children weren't in her immediate sight. Tomas pressed his own hand over one of Elsa's.

"It's alright." He comforted; his dark eyes warm and steady. He smiled weakly, and kissed her cheek. "If it will make you feel better, I'll go send Tom belong deck- so we'll know he's safe."

Elsa nodded, thankful that she hadn't needed to ask him to find their son. "Yes, thank you."

Tomas disappeared from her side, and Elsa tried to calm herself down. She rested both her hands on the handrail, until she felt the familiar tingle of frost forming underneath them. She pulled her hands back to her chest instinctively.

_It's alright, Elsa_. The Queen tried to calm herself._ It's_ _just a little wind_.

Right now, she wished her mind would wander back to the situation with Ina. It would distract her from what was going on. But her mind refused to allow it to stick, and she was pulled out of her thoughts every time the ship bobbed in the water.

"Mama!" Tom yelped from behind her, and Elsa whipped around to face her son. "He-" The boy pointed over his shoulder at his father. "-Says I have to go below deck! I don't wait to; I want to watch the storm."

Elsa tried to hide her joy at the distraction from the storm itself, and from stray thoughts of Ina. "Tom, it's safer if you get down." She could see her dark haired boy open his mouth to protest. "And, please, do not argue about this with us."

"Mama . . ." He began to complain again, but stopped as soon as he saw the look his mother was given him. Elsa really hoped he would give in- the wind had picked up, and she didn't want him standing out there a moment longer.

Dejected, Tom's shoulders slumped. Elsa rested one of her hands on his shoulder, and led him towards the door that led to their living quarters. "I promise," She said as they walked towards it. "You can watch as many storms as you want once we get back to Arendelle." It was a silly promise, but she knew it would pacify her son.

"Fine." Tom agreed weakly. Elsa brushed back his curly bangs and planted a kiss on his temple.

"Thank you." Her voice was filled with sincerity as she twisted the knob, and ushered her child inside. After she closed the door firmly with Tom safely inside and turned around again, she was surprised to see Tomas standing right behind her.

"You should go inside too." Tomas whispered, lowering his voice as though he was telling her a secret. Elsa blinked. With a quick glance over Tomas's shoulder, she could see crew members tightening sails, and yelling out orders to each other. Could she see one man as well, his torso half turned towards them, as though waiting for someone.

"If you're helping," She had caught on quickly. "I am too." She didn't wait for him to protest, just pushed past him and moved towards the others and the ropes that appeared to need tightening. They seemed a little more than surprised to see the Queen stepped forward, and eyed Tomas to see if they should let her proceed. He just shrugged.

"Queen Elsa!" A man, possibly Cyril's age- maybe younger, called. He was sitting atop one of the sail posts, and had a bundle of rope clutched in his arms. "Secure this, would ya'?"

He tossed the rope, and Elsa had to sidestep to avoid getting hit by it. She glared up at him, but grabbed onto the rope, pulling it until it was taunt. He was confident, that kid. No one else would dare to ask the Queen for assistance, even just to direct a request at her so casually was shocking. But honestly, she didn't mind. It made her feel more comfortable; not as if she should be held on a high podium or something.

A sudden, harsh wind- accompanied by a roll of thunder- struck the ship. A wave slammed into the side of the boat, causing it to tip to one side. The crew was thrown to the side, water splashing up onto the deck.

A piecing, senseless wail came from the sail- and the man whom was sitting fell off. The post itself groaned at the combination of wind and changing weight, and it broke in half. The wooden beam began falling, as well as the boy.

Elsa threw her hand out, and a burst of wind came from it. The broken post seemed to stop in midair- though the man didn't. He hit the deck and rolled to absorb the impact. Tomas yelled out something, but it was lost in the wind. Elsa's magic returned the post where it belonged, and she froze it into place. She was breathing hard; amazed she had been able to react so quickly. A few of the crew members, whom had likely never witnessed the Queen's powers, stared at her in awe.

"I'm alright." The boy croaked towards Elsa's husband, who had asked him if her were hurt, shoving himself onto a sitting position. Tomas had leaned over, and was helping him stand. He tried to wave him away, to pretend he was fine, but was groaning and whimpering in pain too much to be believable. Despite being on the other side of the deck, Elsa could clearly see the bruises blossoming on one side of his face- and how his shoulder hung at an odd angle. How he had survived that fall, The Queen didn't know.

"I'm so-" Elsa fought herself to her feet. "-Sorry. I should have stopped your fall somehow. I-" The boy smiled at her, though it was barely masking his pain. She tried to ignore how the rain was beginning to mix with blood behind his ear.

"It's not your fault, Your Majesty." He said, though winced as the boat shook once more. Tomas took one of the boy's arms, the uninjured one, and threw it around his neck. Tomas then wrapped an arm around the boy's waist, trying not to hold him tight enough to hurt him more. The two men then began struggling towards the lower deck door. Elsa could see him limp as they walked.

She followed them, but another rock of the boat had her falling into the railing. Tomas tried to hold the boy up, but he couldn't stop the boy from shifting his weight onto his, likely, broken foot. He screamed out in pain, though bit hard on his lip to prevent himself from doing so again. Tomas mumbled something to the young man, whom nodded, and then they continued towards the door.

"Tom!" Tomas yelled harshly as soon as he had managed to get the door opened. Elsa saw her son's head pop through the door only a few moments later. Tomas mumbled something to him, and the thirteen year old was quickly passed the injured man. He began helping him down the stairs immediately, and Tomas closed the door.

"Is he-"

"I'm not sure." Tomas cut Elsa off, rushing forward to meet her. He placed one hand on her waist and leaned his forehead down against her own. "His shoulder- I think it's dislodged. And his foot . . . I just don't know." Elsa closed her eyes, trying to forget the way the boy had tried to hide his pained grimace.

"He's lucky. That fall should have killed him." Tomas mumbled weakly. He looked as though he was lost in thought- just as puzzled over the fall as The Queen was.

Elsa touched Tomas's cheek lightly. His skin was always so warm compared to others- compared to Elsa's especially. He had never minded Elsa's cold skin and her icy powers. It was what had helped make Elsa so comfortable around him when they first met. "He'll be alright though?" She asked lightly.

Tomas glanced up at her, and opened him mouth to speak- but one of the crew members cut him off.

"Wave!" Another man cried out, and the two's heads whipped towards the voice. It was full of terror, and it forced fear into Elsa's veins the moment he spoke. The body that owned the voice was pointing towards the other side of a ship, where a wave was coming towards them. Elsa's stomach dropped.

No one had time to move. Elsa barely registered Tomas's hand tightening on her waist- she didn't hear his voice as his lips moved. All she could see was the wave. _Is this what my parents saw as they died?_ She thought. The mere thought of it froze her in place from fear- she wondered if she had frozen her feet to the deck.

The wave crashed into the ship, more on top of it rather than hitting the side of it. Water came at them, men yelled- tried to grab at something- anything. Elsa's hand shot out, as though she'd be able to stop the rush of water. But she couldn't.

Elsa and Tomas were hit by the wave, and it picked them up as easily as if they were simply pieces of driftwood. "Tomas!" Elsa tried to scream, but her mouth was soon filled with the ice cold water. She could feel the flecks off ice shooting from her finger tips, but they were lost in the water too soon to locate them. The water dragged her. It surrounded her, and soon she wasn't sure if she were still on the boat of already dragged down to the ocean. She caught a glimpse of something as she was drowned- something red. Tomas's coat.

She tried to reach for him, but the water pulled her the away all too quickly. _I'm scared_, was the only though Elsa could seem to make. Her ankle slammed into something- the arm rail- and pain shot up her leg, though she didn't have very much time to think about it. Because then she felt a sickening, falling sensation. Could all this really have happened in only a matter of seconds?

Elsa swore she caught sight of Tomas's brown hair again as she fell overboard, but she couldn't be sure. She hit the water- and for a moment was stunned to stillness.

Water entered Elsa's nose, her ears. It pressed against her chest as though it were going to crush her. Pain. Fear. Ice. The only things Elsa's mind would allow her to think about. She could feel her ankle throbbing. Had she broken it when she fell? She could feel ice crystals vibrating off of her due to her fear0 but the choppy waves prevented them from forming a single patch of ice. Thank the heavens.

_Am I going to die like this? Like my parents?_ Elsa wondered. She was curious to know if her eyes were open. All she could see was darkness. Elsa had never been scared of the dark. Until now.

_But . . . I don't want to die like this_. She forced her eyes, which she had determined were closed, to open. _I don't want to die_. Elsa wouldn't like this. No, she wouldn't let herself.

_If I were normal, I'd be freezing_. Elsa noted. _Normal . . ._ Elsa's body tensed and it took every ounce of strength not to try and suck in a breath. She had seen Tomas go overboard too. She had seen him fall in the water. Even is summer- the water wasn't warm enough to survive in. He'd freeze to death.

The thought of her husband out there- possibly injured and freezing, was frightful enough that Elsa could feel sheets of ice floating away from her. _No, you'll make it worse_! She forced herself to move her limbs, to swim. _Get out of the water. It's the only way to save Tomas_.

Somehow, Elsa kicked her legs despite her injuries' protests. She waved her arms in the direction she suspected was up. _Tomas. Tomas, please be okay_.

Elsa was suddenly blinded by a light. _A light? Light . . . yes, this way is up_! Elsa forced herself to push her legs faster. A light. It must mean they were looking for them. _Please see me._ Elsa begged. Her lungs were screaming at her to get air.

The Queen that they wouldn't see her. Not unless they noticed something- something odd. Elsa pushed her arm in front of her- her arm extended as far as it would go. _Please work_. She let her power go, and it shot to what was likely the surface. Elsa could see the layer of ice her had created form, and she begged it was enough.

_Find me_.

* * *

><p><strong>The next chapter is going to continue directly after this one so...yeah. <strong>**I'm going to be posting a separate "story;" It's just going to describe the kids' personalities and appearance and whatever. There will be more about the kids in the later chapters (obviously). **

**Thanks! Leave me some reviews, favs, follows. I really appreciate them and I hope you like the story so far! (feel free to point out any mistakes I made. Thanks!)**


	4. Stress

How much time had passed? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? No- if it had been hours, Queen Elsa surely would already be drowned.

_Please. Find me. Find Tomas. Please_. She couldn't be sure as to whom she was praying to- perhaps to the crew members, maybe to herself. She didn't know. And she had no way of knowing if they were looking for them at all.

She forced herself to try and remember everything that had happened- to help distract herself from her screaming lungs and for something to hold onto. She couldn't fall asleep- she wouldn't let herself. Sleeping meant unconscious. Unconsciousness led to death.

She remembered leaving port; it seemed so long ago. The sun had still been shinning by then, warming Elsa's cold skin. Would she ever feel the sun again, see its golden rays? She had been worrying about Ina. Had they really spent the last time they had together fighting? _Oh, Ina_.

Elsa's eyes, which she had numbly allowed to slip closed, peeled open. She could see the reflective surface of the water. _Just swim towards it_, Elsa tried to tell herself. _Move_. But she wouldn't. She couldn't feel her limbs, let alone control them- she was barely aware they were there anymore.

Did Tomas feel the same as Elsa did? Was he craving air as much as she did? Maybe he had hit his head . . . maybe he was already dead. _Oh, please, no. Please don't be dead_. Elsa wanted to fight the lingering pain in her ankle, to force it to kick and let her swim free. She just couldn't. The lack of air and the pain combined made it impossible for the Queen to connect her limbs to her brain.

And then the surface broke. It seemed to shatter like glass, fracturing into a million pieces. Bubbles were the shards. For a moment, Elsa was mesmerized by it. _So pretty_ . . . her tired mind noted. Dirt and dust specks mixed with it, creating a strange burst of color. But then she noticed something, the thing that had broken through the surface. Not a _thing_, but a _he_.

The man had barely come into view before Elsa felt his hands wrap around her upper arms. He shook her, as though to make sure she was awake, but his movements were slowed by the water. _Someone had found her. Someone was saving her_; the Queen clung to these thoughts. _Maybe Tomas is being rescued too_. Elsa forced her eyes to remain open, though she was painfully aware of her empty lungs. But still, she could only properly think one thought: _they found me_.

The man wrapped one arm around Elsa's torso, and began kicking his legs. They moved quickly, far more than Elsa would have thought they could in the freezing water. _I'm saved. They found me_. The surface rushed at them quickly, and the Queen wanted to cry seeing it. She lifted a weak arm up and felt the water rush through her fingers. Then they once again broke the surface. She was free.

"I've got her!" The man yelled out, his voice slightly gurgled by the water, as he had barely risen out of it before speaking.

She wasn't positive about what had happened next. She remembered taking her first breath above water. It was almost painful to have her lungs suddenly filled, but the relief overcame it. She couldn't remember if the man and her were dragged back onto the ship together, or if they had been lifted back separately. She remembered Tom rushing forward and grabbing her shoulders. The boy had helped her down the stairs, but Elsa had lost conscious before she even felt a bed underneath her. She welcomed sleep now.

* * *

><p>"Ina? Just let me in. Please, your Mama did this to me for thirteen years. Sometimes I would sit by her door for <em>days<em> at a time without fail." Anna called through the door. It had been a tiny lie; her parents had never allowed Anna to stay by Elsa's door for more than a few hours at a time. But she'd always come back. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me, young lady."

For a moment, there was no noise. Anna had heard an awful lot of noise before she had spoken up. Screams and curses from Ina, things likely being thrown at the wall . . . she was a feisty sixteen-year-old to say the least. Anna could hear the girl shuffle around inside the room, before finally the door was pulled open. Ina side stepped away from it, back into her room, but hadn't closed it in Anna's face. _It's a start_, Anna decided.

She was shocked as soon as she entered Ina's room.

Ina's bedroom, Anna could immediately see, was trashed. A vase had been thrown at the wall, and it's shattered remains were scattered around the floor. Anna had to step over a tipped over lamp to get into the girl's room. Ina's vanity mirror was destroyed. She had probably hit it with something, and the broken fragments of it lay over the vanity table. Only a corner of the mirror remained in its place. A thick layer of ice covered Ina's floorboards, and then had crawled up the walls.

When the girl got upset, sometimes she broke things. Anna had always assumed it was accidental- just caused by her anger or sadness. She could tell that wasn't the case here.

"Ina . . ." Anna gasped, turning around to face her niece, whom was avoiding meeting her eye. "_What did you do_?"

The girl shrugged, ducking her face. "I got mad-"

"_Mad_?" Anna burst, gesturing wildly around the room. "You could've hurt somebody! Your powers are one thing- I _know_ you can control them_. But this_?" She pointed a finger at the broken glass. "You're getting out of hand Ina. What would your mother think?"

Ina's eyes suddenly flicked up to Anna's, and she stepped towards her. "I don't care what my mother would think!" She yelled, balling her hands into fists. "She thinks Tom should be heir- just because he's a boy! '_It is a royal law_' she would say. But I don't care about that! It's not _fair_!"

Anna stepped towards her to. She had seen Ina annoyed, many times. But she was angry now. And Ina's anger annoyed Anna. "That doesn't justify this. You're a young lady- a princess. Sixteen years old. I know very well you know better than this. You are basically an adult- but instead, you're acting like a child."

Anna wasn't being very Anna-like at all. She was surprised at how much annoyance she had felt towards Ina's outburst. Usually she had sided with the girl. She knew what it felt like to be compared to a sibling. She knew how awful it felt when something that should be yours is given away. Anna understood. Usually. But today, she just couldn't see from Ina's point of view. All she could see was the destruction Ina had caused.

The girl scoffed, and turned her dark eyes once again to Anna. "What justifies Tom being _heir_? His gender? His age? His . . . his personality?"

"Well, what would justify _you _being heir?" Anna questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "_Your_ age? _Your_ gender? Just because you're older, doesn't mean you are fit to be Queen."

Anna walked to the door, kicking the lamp out of the way rather than stepping over it. She was mad now, just as Ina was. Was this why Elsa struggled making amends with her daughter? Because she was so difficult? Anna knew where she was coming from.

"Honestly," Anna was now standing in the doorway. "I'm starting to think Tom might be a better ruler than you would be anyway." She could see Ina's face twist into one of shock.

"Auntie Anna . . . no-" But Anna didn't want to hear her anymore. She needed to calm down before she was able to speak to her again.

"I expect this room to be cleaned up by dinner." Anna mumbled. She could hear Ina step towards, her, but she didn't give her a chance to say anything. She just shut the door.

* * *

><p>"Okay. What's wrong?"<p>

Anna's eyes flickered up from her boots in surprise. She had been untying them, preparing for bed, when Kristoff finally questioned her about what was going on. She wasn't sure how he knew- she thought she had been hiding her feelings quite well.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked back, tucking her hair behind her ear. Kristoff, who had been leaning against the doorframe, pushed away and moved to kneel in front of his wife's chair.

"I've been married to you for, what, twenty years? Don't you think I'd be able to tell when things are wrong by now?" Kristoff raised one of his eyebrows. Anna sighed, and fell back against the chair.

_How did he always know!? _"It's just . . . Ina." Anna admitted, dropping her eyes to her hands. She played with the gold wedding band on her finger, before she finally continued. "You know how she was fighting with Elsa, right before they left? Well . . . um . . . I kind of continued the argument?" It sounded like a question rather than a statement.

The two hadn't met eyes all dinner. Ina hadn't spoken. Anna had tried to sound casual, like usual, but she guessed it hadn't worked as well as she had planned.

"What else?" Kristoff urged her to go on. She shrugged.

"Ina got mad, when Elsa told her she couldn't be heir. Madder than usual." Anna pulled her eyes up to her husband's, and she was annoyed when she felt tears building up in them. She wasn't Anna like _at all_ today. "She completely destroyed her room, Kristoff."

He blinked. "Wait- she did _what_?" He leaned forward, and took Anna's hands in his own. She tried to blink away her tears, but it only forced them out of her eyes and down her cheeks. _Great_. She pulled one of her hands out of Kristoff's, and wiped at it.

"Sorry," She sniffled, and used the same hand to wipe her other cheek. "I guess the stress of it all is making me a little emotional. She's just been so stressful lately, you know?"

Kristoff nodded, and took Anna's hand back into his own. "But what did she do? To her room, I mean." He tilted his head, curious as to know what the girl had done, but his eyes still held concern for his crying wife.

Anna laughed weakly. "Well, she threw a vase at a wall- and her mirror is . . . no longer with us." She sniffled again. "Her furniture was thrown around, and her room was an ice cube."

"How much ice?"

"All of her floor and most of the walls."

"She's getting pretty strong, that girl." Kristoff mumbled, and his eyes flickered as though deep in thought. "She's never done that in front of the kids, has she?"

Anna shook her head. "No. The scene at the dock was the first and worst I think. I'm not sure how much of Ina's temper tantrums Tom has seen though." She sighed, and rubbed at her cheek when she felt that another tear might slip out. "She's not as careful as Elsa is about her power. She- well, it's not that she doesn't care- but I can tell she's just more . . ." Anna searched for a word. "Confident? She doesn't doubt that she can keep it in. So I know that when Ina froze the place, it wasn't an accident. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Kristoff did. He and Anna both knew Ina was completely capable of holding herself together. Her powers had never been pressed down or told to be hidden. They were allowed to grow freely, and as they did, Ina just adapted to know how to use them. She didn't just "slip up" with her powers- whenever she did something, it was with a purpose.

"Yeah. This is all . . . a lot to handle." Kristoff mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Elsa leaving for the summer, everything going on with Ina, Sver's birthday is coming up-"

"That reminds me," Anna interrupted. Kristoff made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat, though he never really was annoyed with Anna. "Sver decided he wants a birthday party after all. So now we have to plan that." Anna began listing off all the things Sver wanted, but gave up and groaned. She dropped her face into her hands.

"How are we going to survive the summer without Elsa and Tomas?" Anna questioned, never looking up from her hiding place behind her hands.

Kristoff laid his hand on his knee comfortingly. "We will. I'm not sure how, but I'm sure we will."

Anna elbowed him lightly, but allowed him to pull her from her chair and into a hug. He rested his chin on her head, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Compared to how quickly Anna got engaged to he-who-shall-not-be-named, the three years from when Kristoff and Anna met to their marriage felt like an eternity. A perfect, wonderful eternity- where the only downside was that they wanted to wait some time before getting engaged. Now, they had spent twenty years together. Where did the time _go_?

"It's late. We should probably go to sleep." Kristoff mumbled after a minute. Anna nodded, and broke away first. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, before turning to finish removing her boots.

They'd be fine until Elsa got back. Right?

**Hi! I hope you liked this chapter! If anyone is interested in joining a little contest, I'm going to post about it after the next chapter (if you read both this and my other story, you already know about it). I have the next few days to do nothing, so hopefully I will spend it writing (and drawing) and will have another chapter up soon.**

**Please fav, follow, and leave me a review! Thanks, and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far.**


	5. Agree and Argue

It was late at night, and a storm had rolled in from the sea. Wind blew though the kingdom, and ships bobbed on large waves at the docks. Water slammed into the shore, grabbing at dirt and earth, which formally would be out of the water's reach, to drag it out to the ocean. Distant lightning bolts were accompanied by the dark music of thunder- while rain pelted the streets and rooftops and windows.

Princess Elise sat at her window, which was partly opened. It was just enough that a few drops of rain could land on her bare, freckled toes and mist could cool her legs. The smell and sound of the storm was calming to the girl, so she stayed awake to read by her window. She couldn't count how many times she had been told to keep the windows closed when it was raining, that she would get sick, but she enjoyed it too much to stop.

Elise's calm night was interrupted as her door was thrown open, and someone stormed into her room. She slammed her window shut, thinking it was her mother coming to scold her for letting rainwater into her room again. She was wrong.

"Ina?" The confused fourteen-year-old mumbled as her cousin strode into her room, and into the candle light near Elise's window seat. The older girl sat down the window seat beside Elise; despite how wet it was from the water.

"I need to talk to you." She started. Elise blinked. Ina had never _needed_ to talk to her about anything. It was a little disappointing actually- Ina was the only other girl around Elise's age, but she never wanted to spend time with her. Ina's refusal to spend more than needed time with the younger girl led Elise to spend more time with her brothers and Tom. Neither was really appealing an option to the girl, so she had found her company in books instead. But still, Ina wanting to speak to Elise was kind of nice.

"What of?" Elise asked casually, tucking her bare feet underneath her. Ina crossed her legs, and Elise couldn't help noticing how much older Ina looked than she actually was, and now much younger Elise appeared to be than she was. It was a little unfair.

Ina chewed on the inside of her cheek. "It's about my mother."

_Oh, here we go_. Elise thought. She set her book aside. "What's going on now?"

Ina ran one hand through her hair, knotting her fingers through the strands once she reached where her braid started. "We've been fighting." She glanced sideways at her cousin. "Except I'm sure you already know that."

Yes, yes Elise had. She nodded.

The silver-haired girl sighed, and brought one leg up to her chest. "I'm just mad at her I guess. About a lot of things. Complicated things. But most of all I'm mad about the all the heir stuff. She just doesn't _get it_, you know?" Ina suddenly stood up, and began pacing back and forth. "I was first born, I deserve it more. I was born to be Queen. I was born to wear the crown, and rule Arendelle . . ." She waved her hands in the air, as though searching for words.

"I agree with you." Elise interjected, while Ina had paused. "You were first born, and it's not fair that Tom gets to be King because he's a boy."

"Yes!" Ina suddenly whipped around to face her cousin, her face lighting up now that somehow had agreed with her. "Tom- he doesn't even _appreciate_ it! He just-" She was at a loss for words again, caught in her rant. Elise just nodded.

"I understand how you feel. Trust me, I do." The younger girl comforted, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Ina smiled brightly at her. She leaned forward on her toes, like an eager little girl.

"Promise me something." She said after a second.

"What?"

"You heard me. Promise me-"

"No," Elise shook her head, a little confused again. "What do you want me to promise?"

Ina's face was giddy. She looked as close to childish as she possibly could. "Promise me you'll help me change it. The royal line." She stuck her hand out for a shake. "Help me become Queen."

Her hand hung in the air for a moment.

"Wait, what?" Elise gasped, struggling to stand beside her cousin. Ina's eyes were bright, excited. Wild. She wasn't sure what she expected Ina to say, but that was not it.

"You heard me," The older girl repeated, an almost smug tone entering her voice. Her hand was still held out in front of her. "Help me become Queen."

Elise laughed weakly, and tucked another strand of hair behind her ear; a nervous habit. "Ina," She said lightly, turning her body halfway away from Ina's hand almost defensively. "I- you can't be serious." Her eyes flickered from Ina's eyes, which appeared black in the dim light, to her outstretched hand.

The older girl never wavered.

"You're kidding." Elise looked at her in disbelief.

She still didn't waver.

"You're not kidding." She whispered, stepping back. "Oh, wow." Her mind took off. Ina was serious? Elise knew she wanted it- god, _everyone_ knew she wanted it! But . . . to go this far? To actually do something? Honestly, Elise was a little ashamed she hadn't expected it.

"It's a limited offer, Elle." Ina reminded, using Elise's nickname as though she had called her that every day of her life. She hadn't though. Everyone _but _her, actually.

_How am I supposed to help you with this, Ina_? Elise wondered, eyeing her cousin with suspicion. _What could I possibly do to change the line_? Yet her mind kept going back to one fact; Ina had come to her for help. She wanted Elise to help her- even if whatever she had planned didn't work, Ina wanted Elise to be a part of it.

Hesitantly, Elise reached her fingers out towards Ina's hand. She wasn't sure what the girl had planned, and Elise wasn't sure if what she was doing was right, but she was doing it anyway. She had barely had contact with Ina's cold skin before her hand was wrapped in the other's girl grasp.

Ina stared Elise in the eye, almost like she was trying to intimidate her, and firmly shook her hand once. "Thanks, Elle." Ina said, releasing her cousin's hand and turning for the still open door. Elise was stunned. _What just happened_?

"Ina, wait-" Elise moved to follow her, but Ina had already left the room. Elise groaned, and lifted her skirts to be able to chase after her.

She had barely made it out of her room before an arm caught her around the waist. "Hey! What-" But then she was spun around and pushed back into her room. She twisted her neck to see who was shoving her, and wasn't surprised to see her brother.

"Cyril, what are you-" But she was cut off once again as he twirled around and closed the door. Why must she get cut off so often? "What are you doing?" She hissed as he turned it face her again. He crossed his arms over his chest the same time she did.

"I heard what you and Ina were talking about." He stated. She clearly heard the accusation in his voice.

She curled in on herself a little, making her seem even smaller than she actually was. "So?" She looked down at her feet as the room was brightened by a flash of lightning. "What is Ina really going to do? And what's the big deal anyway? I'm just agreeing with her. How'd you know we were talking in here anyway?"

Cyril ran his hand through his hair and turned away for a second. "Firstly, when you slam the window like that- it shakes my bedroom wall. Second, Elle, you're egging her on." He looked at his little sister, trying to get her to understand. "Don't you get it? She can't be Queen. Aunt Elsa's not going to change her mind."

"But-"

"Elle. Think about it. Because it's not as simple as you think. Aunt Elsa can't change the rules- especially not because one girl was complaining." Cyril put his hands on his hips like a nagging parent.

Elise scoffed. "_One girl_? I'm sorry, isn't it _one girl_ that makes you giggling just at the sound of her name? Wasn't it only one girl that beat you at an arm wrestling contest when you were a kid? I'm just one girl, so you're saying I'm not important?"

"What? That's not what I was saying-" Cyril groaned and grabbed at his head. "Just stop, okay? Trust me. Ina moving on will the best thing for Arendelle. Tom can be a better King than she'd be a Queen, and a part of you knows it." She glanced at Elise one more time, and he himself turned for the door. "Don't encourage her, Elise. You'll only make it worse."

As he put his hand on the doorknob, Elise suddenly bolted forward. "Why is everyone against her? What'd she ever do that was so bad?" Elise asked, and her voice was filled with desperation. "Why can't you just hear her out!"

Cyril whipped around to face her once again. "Elise," he grabbed her shoulders, and shook her lightly. "Stop it. I swear to you, whatever Ina has to say isn't worth hearing." As soon as the words passed from Cyril's lips, he knew he used the wrong ones. Elise ripped herself free from his grasp, a disgusted look crossing her young face.

"Isn't worth hearing? How would you know- you've never _tried_!" She shoved him, and he staggered backwards- less so from the force of it, but more from surprise. "You never listen to her! You never listen to _me_!"

"No, that's not what I meant; I didn't mean that she isn't worth listening to, just that-"

"But that's what you said!" Elise yelled at him, and she was amazed her parents hadn't come racing to see why they were arguing.

"Ellie, no-" But she elbowed past him, and threw her door open. She stormed down the hall, not really sure where she was going. "Elle!" Cyril yelled after her; he was holding onto the doorframe and leaning out the door. He watched her run down.

He backed up into the room and balled his hands into fists. _Why didn't she get it_? _Why couldn't she see what Ina was doing_? _What Ina was really like_? "Ugh!" He cried- he grabbed onto the door and slammed it shut as forcibly as he could. The door smashed into its place and bounced out, as though it couldn't click into place. It shook the walls and had a sound similar to thunder. He swore he heard a part of the wood crack. _Well, it's broken anyway_! He thought, as he brought his foot down on the wood again, kicking it so hard it likely would have broken his toe if not for his boots.

"Elise! Cyril! What are you doing!?" Anna yelled from down the hall. Cyril could hear her familiar footfalls rushing towards him, and he groaned. He pulled open the door, deciding that facing her right off was better than getting yelled at about trying to hide too. As he stepped into the hall, he realized he wasn't alone.

Ina was leaning against the door across the hall. She was smiling. It was a sick smile, and Cyril narrowed his eyes at her. She lifted her chin, and Cyril knew it was smug. She was rubbing it in. All because she knew he wouldn't tell Anna everything that happened. How could he? Ina was causing Anna enough stress- adding this would only be an insult.

Ina pushed herself away from the door, never looking away from Cyril. They could near Anna get closer. Ina cocked one eyebrow, but her smile never failed. Cyril stared her down until she finally turned to return to her own room.

He watched her go. He didn't know what she was planning, but after hearing what Kristoff had told him- he didn't trust her.

* * *

><p>"Sver?"<p>

The seven year old rolled over in bed, never bothering to open his eyes. "Hmm?" He mumbled, lifting his head only slightly off the pillow.

"Is it okay if I sleep in your room tonight?" Elise asked. She felt funny asking her baby brother that. Usually it was he asking her- whenever he had a nightmare. Even though Elise's room was possibly the farthest, she was the only one he felt comfortable waking. And the same went for Elise.

"Why?" He muttered. _Is he even fully awake_? Elise wondered. She decided not to dwell on it.

"Just because." She responded. She waited for a second with no response, and for a second she was afraid he had gone back to sleep. Only when he patted the blanket next to him did her fears seem small. She crawled into bed, and he turned over so he could cuddle into her side.

She pulled the blankets tighter around the two of them, and tucked Sver's head under her chin. "Goodnight Sev."

"'Night Elle."

But it wasn't a good night. Sleep didn't find her easily. Her mind raced and replayed everything that had happened. She had been so calm before Ina and Cyril came to talk to her.

What was she going to do?

**I'll explain what Kristoff said to Cyril later. Thanks for reading so far!**


	6. Knocking

A loud knocking on Anna and Kristoff's door pulled them from their slumber in the very early hours of morning. The sun hadn't risen yet, but pink sky streaked the dark blue as the large, burning star threatened to show itself. Last night's storm had already blown over, but the streets and buildings were still wet- and the grass seemed to be drowned.

Anna groaned and rolled over, bringing her pillow down over her head. "Can you get that?" She asked, her sleepy voice muffled by the pillows. She was not a morning person. Not to mention she had been woken in the night by her children screaming at each other, and Cyril attacking Elise's door. She had yelled at him, and he told her that Elise and he had argued, and it escalated far more than he thought it would. Anna had then found Elise sleeping in Sver's room, but decided not to wake them. Long story short, she had lost a lot of much needed sleep.

Kristoff rolled his eyes but stood up, and began shuffling towards the door. He hadn't even halfway crossed the room before another loud knocking on their door sounded. Be blinked in confusion. Kristoff reached for the handle, and once again; someone was pounding on the door. Anna, urged by the repeated impatient knocking, poked her head up from the bed and watched as her husband pulled the door open.

A woman, one of the maids, stood outside the door. She was clutching her bonnet tightly in her hands, and her face was written with worry. Kristoff opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"Please. Come quickly." She gasped. Wow- Interrupting the royal family- that was odd. It meant something serious was going on. Kristoff glanced over his shoulder at Anna, who had sat up. "Please," The maid said again. She eyes were begging. "It's the Queen."

_Elsa_? "I don't-" Kristoff stuttered. "What happened to Elsa?" Anna had already thrown the covers off her legs and was jumping from the bed. She grabbed her robe, and was soon throwing Kristoff his. She didn't care what had happened to Elsa- the only fact that mattered was _something_ had. Something bad enough that a maid felt she had to wake them, to interrupt them so casually. Something that had happened to her sister.

The couple were soon rushing down the halls, chasing after the maid as quickly as they could. _Elsa_ . . . Anna worried. She couldn't help it. As they rushed down the hallway, Sver's door opened.

"Mama?" He asked, as Anna passed him.

"Go back to bed, Sev." She called over her shoulder, not bothering to stop. She knew her son was fine- the same could not be said for her sister.

_What could have happened_? _Had they already arrived in Leighton_? _No- no, they couldn't possibly. But then how would they have heard from Elsa already_? _Maybe they stopped somewhere along the way_. _But why would they do that_? Anna's head spun, and her bet fast. _Please Elsa_, She begged. _Please be okay_.

Somehow they made it down the hall and around the corner. The maid, whom was admittedly an older woman, was huffing and puffing and falling behind. Anna looked over her shoulder and nodded at the woman, excusing her from following them.

"The Queen's room, Miss!" She yelped, though her voice was quiet from lack of air.

So Kristoff and Anna hurried towards her sister's room- and Anna couldn't help being afraid. There were so many things she was afraid of. Elsa's wellbeing- Tom and Tomas's wellbeing as well. She was afraid of what would happen if her sister _wasn't_ alright. What would happen?

Soon, they were standing at Elsa and Tomas's door. Anna's hand hovered over the doorknob. Something was wrong. As soon as she pulled open that door, it would confirm whatever that something was. She just needed a second. Just one second to believe that everything was okay- that things wouldn't change when she opened that door.

Anna closed her eyes, and turned the knob. She shoved her shoulder against the door, and forced her way inside. Kristoff was right behind her- his chest basically pressed against her back. Anna willed her eyes to open, to face whatever was in the room.

At first, the warm light from the candle next to the bed made it difficult for their eyes to adjust to the ever changing lighting in the room. Two figures were immediately visible- one fair haired, the other dark. _Elsa_. She was lying in her bed, so still that it frightened Anna. Her hair was in a messy, tattered braid that was set nicely against her shoulder. Her hands were laid at her sides- her blankets pulled up to her waist.

The dark haired one suddenly looked up from the chair he had been sitting in. His young, frightened eyes were red- he had been crying.

"Auntie Anna . . ." Tom whimpered, quickly standing from his chair and rushing to his aunt. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and rested her chin on his head. She shushed the cries that he was trying to suppress. Kristoff rested his hand on the young boy's shoulder, and smoothed his hair down comfortingly.

"Tom," The older man asked lightly. "What's going on? What happened to your Mama? To your Father? How'd you get back here?"

Tom sniffled, and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "The storm . . ." He rubbed at his eye, while Anna steered him back to his chair beside Elsa's bed. "It- the ship- got caught in it. They sent me below deck- I didn't see."

"See what?" Anna pressed, glancing at her sister with concern.

Tom took in a shaky breath. "I didn't see them go overboard."

_Overboard_. Anna stiffened, and Kristoff sucked in a breath. Tom whimpered again.

Anna's legs were shaking. _Elsa went overboard. Elsa and Tomas _went _overboard. Oh, no. No_. She reached for the bedpost, and somehow found herself sitting on the edge of her sister's bed. _Elsa, I told you, you should have stayed in Arendelle_.

"I-I didn't know. They didn't tell me until they brought Mama below deck to me and another guy," Tomas's eyes were tearing up again, and he grabbed at the skin just above his elbow. A habit he had developed to stop himself from crying. "Then they b-brought us home." He hiccupped.

Instinctively, Anna reached her hand out for Elsa's. Anna hated that her hand was shaking, and she forced it to still over Elsa's. Her sister's skin was always cold- but Anna let out a sigh of relief when she felt a muscle twitch underneath her palm. She laughed, and all her worries flew away.

"She's alive." Anna gasped, a calm sense of peace falling over her. And she noticed, now that her head wasn't rushing a hundred miles a minute, that Elsa's chest was rising up and down with each breath. She was just sleeping.

"Tom," Anna laughed weakly, standing from the bed and moving to hug her nephew. "Oh, you scared me." She hugged him, but she didn't notice his tears were beginning to land on her neck.

Kristoff's shoulders were still tense. "Tom," He said lightly. "Elsa's fine. But . . . where's your father?"

Anna's head popped up, as though suddenly remembering that Tomas had been in danger as well. She grabbed Tom's shoulders and held him away from her, so she could look in his eyes. He didn't meet her gaze. He was crying too hard.

"Tom," Kristoff repeated. "Where's your father? Where's Tomas?"

The boy was sobbing, and both Anna and Kristoff's stomachs dropped. He wouldn't be crying if Tomas was safe. He wouldn't perk up just to say "Oh, he's speaking to the captain." That wouldn't happen. Elsa might be safe, but Tomas obviously wasn't.

Anna licked her suddenly very dry lips. "Where's Tomas?" Her voice shook, as well as her hands. Tom dropped his head into his hands, and his answer was muffled by his palms. But Anna and Kristoff had a good idea of what he was going to say- so it rang loud and clear in their eardrums.

"They couldn't find him." The boy cried. "He drowned."

* * *

><p>Cyril was lying awake in his bed. He had been woken by the sound of running down the hallway. He had considered investigating, but decided against it once he heard his parents voices. Obviously, they were dealing with someone on their own, and didn't need the young man's help.<p>

Cyril had tried falling back asleep, but his mind was racing too fast to get any peace. His fight with Elise, the look Ina had given him, the scolding his mother had tolled out. It all replayed in his mind. Most of all though, he kept thinking about what his father had told him the day before.

He had been saddling up his horse, preparing to go riding with a friend of his, when Kristoff had entered the stables. He didn't even bother with the average conversation pieces- How are you, what are you up to, those kind of things. He just leaned against the stable door and told him:

"Ina's acting strangely."

See, this wasn't even the surprising part yet. Cyril could plainly see how his cousin was acting. He had been there during her little performance at the docks, and had overheard more than a few of her tantrums. Even what Kristoff said after this wasn't all that strange- it was just when the two sentences were put together.

"I need you to come talk to Grand Pabbie with me." Kristoff's eyes seemed to be begging. Now, what he said after that Grand Pabbie comment was what surprised the young man. "He told me something a long time ago and I didn't listen, but I need someone else to hear it too. So they'll believe me."

Can you see how strange that must have been? Cyril had seen the panic in Kristoff eyes, so he agreed to go. He found his friend, cancelled their plans, and then the two men were riding off towards the Valley of the Living Rock.

"It's about Ina." Kristoff had mumbled once. Yep, Cyril had gathered as much.

"Something's wrong with her." More so than usual? Well, that will be interesting.

Kristoff kept explaining vague details to his son about the problem, and Cyril tried to piece things together to the best of his ability. Grand Pabbie had predicted something about Ina a long time ago. Kristoff had ignored it. Now he's starting to think the old pebble was right. He wanted Cyril to come along, so the trolls could explain everything to him as well.

Alright-y then.

When the men had arrived at the Valley, and Cyril had been explained the story, he was as shocked as Kristoff expected him to be.

When Ina was a little girl, Grand Pabbie predicted that her heart was made of ice- he said something about Anna's heart here as well, though Cyril hadn't been able to catch what he said. Grand Pabbie said that she was unloving and selfish, and Cyril easily believed that. Ina could only think about herself becoming Queen- never about Tom's problems, or her parents', or heck- not even Cyril's. Then he said that she would send Arendelle into an eternal winter. Again.

Cyril knew Ina got ticked off easily. Everyone knew that. But enough to freeze Arendelle? On purpose? That was a bit much, even for her. And what could make her so upset? Was it her lack-of-crown? Cyril knew she wanted that as well- but did she need it so badly as to bury innocent people under snow and ice?

"Wait, wait, wait-" Cyril interjected here. "You're saying Ina is going to do the same thing Aunt Elsa did?"

Maybe not the exact same. Cyril had been told a million times that what Elsa did had been an accident-

Loud knocking at his door pulled Cyril from his thoughts- and he sat up in his bed. "Come in." He called, throwing his blankets off his legs and preparing to stand up. He didn't get the chance before Sver was barreling into his room with Elise hot on his trail.

"What-" Cyril started, but Sver slammed him hand down on his brother's mouth and shushed him. Elise closed the door, and shot Cyril a look. Obviously, she was still mad at him. He didn't blame her.

"I gotta' tell you something." Sver said urgently, basically bouncing on his toes. Elise moved to stand behind her baby brother, while looking at her older one.

"Listen to him." Elise said. "He makes a good point."

Sver grinned up at her, always happy when someone was proud of him, before leaning closer to Cyril. "Mama and Papa were running down the hallways," The little boy whispered. "And I think it's because of something Auntie Elsa did. A maid told them to go to her room. Mama looked really scared."

Cyril glanced away from Sver and up to Elise, though she refused to meet his eye. "Do you think it's serious?"

Sver nodded, his spikey hair bouncing as he did. "Uh huh."

The three stood for a second, not really knowing what to say now. What was going on with their parents and Aunt Elsa, yeah, it seemed serious. But what could they do? Nothing.

"Thanks for telling me, Sev." Cyril mumbled, ruffling his brother's hair. "Now go get some more sleep. You both need it." He glanced at Elise, and this time she wasn't able to look away fast enough to avoid catching his glance. She frowned.

"He's right." Elise said after a second. "C'mon Sev, if it's important, we'll hear about it later. But we should try and sleep a bit first." She grabbed his hand and started leading him towards the door before he could try and stay.

"What? No, I don't want to go back to bed!" He complained, trying to pull his hand free from his sister's. Elise mumbled something to him a second later, and he gave in.

Cyril let his head fall back against the pillow, and let his breath out in a sigh. Everyone had been on edge yesterday. It was as if Elsa and Tomas leaving made everyone feel tense- but it must have made Ina feel something else. Like she had an opportunity, maybe?

Maybe that was why she had gone to Elise when she did- because Elsa wasn't there. Why would she need Elise's help anyway? You'd think Elise would only slow her down.

Once again, Cyril's head was spinning- and he'd again have no chance of falling back to sleep.

**Meh. Good enough. **

**So, I'm having a little contest (I talked about it on my other Frozen fanfic), and I'm going to be asking on this story as well. I'd like people to vote on either a FanFic contest or a FanArt contest. Whichever one gets the most votes win. I explained more about it on an Author's note in my last story.**

**Okay, please vote/ leave me a review/ fav/ follow, whatever! Thanks, and I hope you liked the chapter. **


	7. Knowing

Elsa awoke from a dreamless sleep feeling uncomfortable and stiff. For a moment she couldn't remember what had happened. She was oblivious to the events that had occurred the night before. She groaned and tried to roll over in her bed, but an aching pain in her ankle prevented her from doing so. _I hurt my foot_? She wondered.

"What?" She mumbled, forcing her tired eyes to open, planning to inspect the injury. She had to blink a few times in order for her eyes to adjust to the bright morning light streaming in through her bedroom window. _My bedroom_ . . . she was confused again. _But we should be on our way to Leighton_-

The memory of the storm struck Elsa so fast she felt like she had been hit. Her breath flew from her lungs as everything that had happened returned to her. The storm. The wave. Going overboard. The ice. Drowning. _Tomas_. "Oh my god." She whispered to herself.

What had happened after she had been pulled from the water? She remembered the man finding her- and then being past to her son- but what happened after that? Where was Tom? Where was _Tomas_? The crew members- what about them? _Everyone_ on that ship had been in danger.

"You're awake." A relieved voice sighed from a chair beside the bed. Elsa turned her head, meanwhile realizing that her bun had fallen into a braid. Or perhaps someone had done it while she slept? Oh, never mind, it wasn't important.

Elsa's eyes soon landed on her sister, whom had a blanket on her lap. Had she been sleeping? Or was she just trying to? What time was it- how long had Elsa been unconscious? Anna was wearing a night dress- but sometimes she wore them all day, so it didn't really help the older women figure out the hour. She was smiling at Elsa, but the younger girl's eyes were red and puffy- she had been crying.

"Anna?" Elsa croaked; her voice thick with sleep and her throat even more so. She coughed, trying to clear it, and rubbed her tired eyes. "What happened?" The Queen's mind was confused- despite what she _thought_ she remembered, she wasn't sure if she was right. She flung her legs off the bed, preparing to stand.

Anna stiffened a little, but avoided her sister's question directly and moved to hug her. For a moment, Elsa was confused; but of course, she had yet to _not_ be confused that morning- assuming it _was_ morning- so she didn't think much of it. She wrapped one arm around Anna and used the other one to keep her in a sitting position.

"What happened?" She repeated herself.

Anna pulled back a little, and refused to meet Elsa's eye. Mixing in with the confusion was nervousness- as well as a bit of fear. Anna was never one to hide things from Elsa- to do so now . . . it was unnerving. Anna was one of the only people Elsa felt comfortable to tell every little thing- seeing her so hesitant to speak about something was near terrifying.

Elsa grabbed onto her sister's elbows. "Anna," Her voice seemed to have shaken off all its side effects from sleep, and was as strong as usual. "Tell me. What's going on? What happened to me?"

They were all reasonable questions; things Anna easily would be able to answer. Obviously, if she were here, she'd know what had happened. But why couldn't she just say it? Elsa was obviously fine, apart from the pain in her ankle, which admittedly didn't hurt when she didn't put too much pressure on it.

There was only one reason Anna wouldn't speak up. It wasn't Elsa that was hurt- it was someone else.

"The ship . . ." Anna sniffled after a moment, still refusing to meet her sister's gaze. "It arrived back in Arendelle at about five in the morning. He told us that both of you went overboard."

"Who did?" Asked Elsa, her voice eager and rushed. She couldn't be patient- not in this situation.

"Tom. He was fine- I mean, technically- but he . . ." Anna lifted her eyes for a second, and Elsa could see that she was probably blinded by tears. Elsa wanted to reach for her, to tell her it was okay, but she needed to know what else had happened. She still needed to push Anna for the information. What had happened to her son? To her husband? _What happened_? Elsa could feel frost creeping away from her bare toes, and both women watched it as it spread away from them. The stress was getting to her.

"Elsa," Anna mumbled, her tears threatening to spill over. "I don't think I can tell you. I can't be the one that says it."

The Queen stood up then, and she could feel snowflakes begin to land on her cheeks and see them in Anna's hair. Too stressful. She hesitated before she spoke- wanted to hold onto a second where she could pretend everything would be alright.

"Say what? Anna, what do you need to tell me?"

A few tears slid down the younger women's cheek then- but she didn't bother wiping them away. Snowflakes continued to fall on the both of them, and one melted as it fell in the warm tear falling down Anna's face. Finally she gasped in a shaky breath, knowing what she was going to say was going to break Elsa's heart.

"They couldn't find him, Elsa." She tried to keep her voice from shaking. "Tomas- they couldn't save him. He drowned."

Elsa's heart stopped.

_Drowned_. Tomas had drowned while Elsa had been saved. He had been lost in the waves- and Elsa lost all hope that someone might have found him- that he'd be okay.

It was as if _her _life flashed before her eyes. Every moment she had spent with Tomas appeared, and then shattered like sharp, painful shards of glass. Meeting at Anna and Kristoff's wedding. Dancing for the first time. Holding hands. Being proposed to- then getting married. Giving birth to Ina- and later to Tom. Laughing, and talking, and . . . falling in love. It all shot to the front of her memory, things she had thought she had long forgotten, and then fell away. Gone. Just like he was.

Elsa could hardly feel the ice that suddenly shot from her feet, or the way the snow suddenly stopped falling in mid-air. She didn't notice that her room was completely frosted over, and that it all seemed to point back at her. All she noticed was the pain. The pain in her heart- with every beat it reminded her that Tomas's wouldn't beat like that ever again.

Elsa's legs fell from beneath her, and she collapsed onto her bed. She screamed- it didn't sound human; it sounded like a wild animal. Broken, and pained, and heartbreaking to anyone that heard it. Anna might have been calling her name, but Elsa couldn't hear her over the sound of her own sobs.

Her husband was dead.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god." Elise gasped, clasping a hand over her own mouth to prevent herself from crying out. Cyril wore a similar shocked, pained expression as his sister- while Sver just looked confused.<p>

Kristoff had woken all his kids up after he and his wife had sent Tom to get some rest. He wasn't very surprised to learn they were all awake, though he hated how it sped things along. The kids seemed eager to hear what Kristoff had to say- much to his own disappointment. He didn't want to tell them what he needed to- but he knew that if he had traded places with Anna had told Elsa what had happened, it would have been much worse. He hated the way "They couldn't find Tomas" tasted as the words left his lips.

Cyril was gripping the arm of the chair he was sitting in so hard it could have snapped under the pressure, while Elise and Sver sat together on the sofa. Elise looked like she was nearly in tears, and Kristoff couldn't blame her. He wanted to reach out and hug her- but he forced himself to stand still.

"He's dead?" Cyril asked, though it sounded like a statement instead of a question. His young face was twisted with shock, and something that no one in the room could place- worse than sadness, but mixed with too much anger to come across as such. Sver's head popped up with a terrified look in his eyes.

"Uncle Tomas died?" The youngest boy cried- finally realizing what the word "drowned" meant. Elise let out a sound that was a mix of a sob and a hiccup. Sver looked like he was going to cry as well.

Kristoff brushed his hair back off his son's forehead, an attempt to sooth him. "We don't know for sure-"

"But it's probably what happened." Elise cut him off, starring up to her father. The words sounded as though she should have delivered them angrily- instead them across weak and dejectedly.

Kristoff finally opened his arms for Elise, and she stood up to run into them. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, where she sniffled and whimpered occasionally. "Shh, shh . . . it'll be okay." He tried to calm her- but his own voice wavered.

Sver soon jumped from the couch to join in the hug, and slowly, Cyril did as well. Kristoff picked up his younger son, who threw his arms around his father's neck. They all formed a type of group hug, and they were like a clump of mourners.

Elise, after avoiding Cyril's eyes all that morning, finally looked at him. She didn't want to fight with him anymore. It was tiring- and pointless. What was the point if one of them could leave before the other had a chance to apologize? She didn't want the last time she ever saw her brother to be spent fighting or holding a grudge against one another. He smiled weakly at her, an attempt at comfort, and soon the two gave each other a hug as well.

"I'm sorry." Cyril mumbled. Elise nodded.

"I am too, Cy. About the fight- about _everything_." Elise said back. They hugged tightly, before Elise returned to her father's arms. She couldn't imagine how Ina and Tom felt right now- and she never wanted to find out. She didn't want to lose her father the same way her cousins had.

"How did Ina react when you told her?" Cyril asked after a moment of hugging Sver, who had burst into tears sometime during the group hug. Kristoff blinked.

"We haven't yet. We thought Elsa should." He didn't add anything after it- though it was obvious he should have. The kids didn't dwell on it though- they all figure it would be better if Elsa were the one to tell her.

"So," Sver sniffled, and wiped away a stray tear. "Ina's the only one that doesn't know?"

Everyone seemed to realize it was the truth as the young boy said it. Tom was there when the Tomas went overboard (though he didn't see it), Anna and Kristoff were told right away, and now the kids knew. That only left Ina. _Oh no_, Cyril though. _Ina's not gonna' like being told last. Who would?_

Elise suddenly broke away from her father, her sad face suddenly very determined and focused. She looked up at her brother, like she wanted to say something, but then closed her mouth. She gave him a begging look, before turning and running from the room.

Cyril knew what she was going to do. She was going to tell Ina. Why would she- it would be better for everyone if _Elsa _did it. But yet, Elise would, and Cyril could have cried knowing.

"Elle! No, wait-" Cyril tried to follow her, but Kristoff's hand on his shoulder stopped him. The confused young man looked at him, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Let her go, Cy." He said lightly. "She needs time. We all do." He patted his son's back once, before pulling him into a hug. _Um . . . what?_ It took Cyril a minute to realize that Kristoff thought Elise had run simple because she was upset. He didn't know she was running towards Ina.

Elise, meanwhile, was running as fast as her legs would carry her. She didn't know why telling Ina about Tomas was so important to her- a part of her knew that Elsa should do it- that it should just be a family mourn. She knew that she shouldn't weasel her way into this.

But she couldn't help it. A bigger part of her wanted to help Ina by telling the older girl first. She wanted to be the one to tell her, so Ina would know that Elise wouldn't lie to her. Ina might think more of Elise if she were honest with her about Tomas- she might see her as more than an annoying younger cousin. Elise wanted her cousin's respect, and terrible as the circumstances were, she couldn't help thinking this was her only way to get it.

Elise didn't bother knocking on Ina's door before she twisted the knob and entered. Ina groaned in her bed; as she hadn't experienced any fights in the night, Elise wasn't surprised she was still asleep. The brown haired girl crossed her arms over her chest, and tried to keep her voice steady.

Despite some of her sadness breaking through her brave face, Elise hoped that her voice was clear. "Ina, I need to tell you something."


	8. Truth

As Ina rubbed her eyes, Elise found herself sinking into the chair by the vanity. She tried to ignore the mirror-less mirror stand, or the drying up flowers on the desk with no vase in sight. Instead, she straightened her spine, and tried to stop herself from crying as she spoke.

"Something happened." Her voice was high and it shook- making her sound even more like the little girl she was.

The brown haired princess looked at her cousin, whom was still trying to wake herself up. Ina was so beautiful compared to Elise. She was so grown up and mature; what with her fair hair and skin and dark eyes and height . . . unlike Elise. Elise was a growing girl stuck in the body of a kid- sure, she had somewhat of a figure. Curves and what not that physically marked her as a "women." But despite how she tried, she never looked grown up. She had even cut her hair once- to see if the shorter style would frame her face and make her look older- instead her thick curls sprung up in an even more childish way, and it had taken a year to get it to its current length at her shoulders.

"Okay," The older girl yawned and sat up in her bed. She brought her long hair, it hung nearly to her waist- another thing Elise was jealous of, over her shoulder and began braiding it. "So . . . what else?"

Elise slammed her eyes shut tightly- and tried to take a calming breath in through her slightly parted mouth. She couldn't say it. Hearing it was one thing- but to tell it, to say it to girl that was half of him . . . She couldn't do it.

But she had to.

"Ina, Tom and your Mama came home." She took in another breath. "But . . . Tomas didn't. I'm so sorry, Ina." She stuttered, covering her eyes with her hands, like she wanted to literally hold her tears back.

Elise had run straight to Ina's room, woken her up, and finally sat her down to tell her about what had happened to Tomas. As she spoke, Elise realized that she had been stupid to think telling Ina was a good idea. She didn't know how to break this kind of news to her- nor how to console her as soon as she had. The younger girl tried to hold back her own tears while she waited for Ina to say something else.

Ina was silent for a moment, before scoffing. Elise's eyes flickered up_. How could she scoff after hearing something that like_? "You're kidding." Ina declared, trying off the braid and then shoving it back around her shoulder.

Elise bit her lip, and tugged on one of her own braids. Ina didn't believe her. How could she think Elise would make something like that up? The young princess avoided meeting the older girl's eyes.

Ina glanced at her, after Elise didn't say anything else. "You've got to be kidding. My parents are on their way to Leighton right now. They're fine." She didn't sound as sure as herself. She threw her legs off the bed, and leaned forward.

This was not at all how Elise expected it to go.

"Lease?" Ina said after a second, tilting her head. A concerned look had crossed her features. She was worried now.

For a second, Elise was distracted by what she had said. _What does lease mean- oh_. It quickly clicked that it must be a nickname. Everyone called her by her first initial- _of course_ Ina would be the one to use her second.

"I'm so sorry, Ina." Elise repeated herself, dropping her head into her hands. She could feel her tears pressing into her eyelids to a point that it was actually painful. She finally let them flow, and let a single sob bubble from her chest.

Ina stilled.

Then she straightened her spine. "You . . . you're lying to me." She gasped after a second- forcing her legs to stand. "My father is not dead."

She glanced at her cousin, who was now full on crying. _Why would Elise lie to me_? She wondered. _Why would she tell me something like that? As a joke_? Ina stumbled backwards, until she nearly tripped over her bed.

"He's not dead." She was shaking her head, furiously and fast. She opened her mouth to speak, before slamming it shut again. Elise stood up on shaking legs and grabbed Ina's hand.

"Ina, I'm sorry-"

"They're still on their way to Leighton. I'll go to their room, and no one will be there." She pulled her hand out of her cousin's grasp. Her head was spinning. Her heart racing. "Because they didn't come home. They'll come home in a few weeks and everyone will be fine." Elise couldn't ignore how Ina sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than Elise.

The older girl didn't wait. She grabbed her robe from the floor where she had left it, and stormed out of the room. She started down the hallway before the younger girl had a chance to follow. Elise hiccupped before screaming after her.

"Ina- no, wait!" She reached after her, but she felt too weak to follow. The lack of sleep, and shock of it all caught up to her, and a sense of exhaustion fell over her. She fell to her knees and leaned against the door frame- before she finally let herself to cry fully.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, though she knew Ina was too far away to hear her.

* * *

><p>Anna sat beside Elsa on her bed, patting and rubbing her back as she cried. Her agonizing screams had dulled to painful sobs- and she had lain down on her bed and clutched a pillow to her chest whilst she cried.<p>

Anna tried to offer encouraging words, but she could think of none. How could you comfort someone when their husband just died? It seemed almost insulting to try. So, Anna just sniffled and let a few tears slip down her cheeks, all while trying to hide it from her mourning sister.

The Queen had heard people call the feeling she felt "hollow." But that's not how she felt. She felt completely full. Full of anger, and guilt, and sadness, and agony, and misery, and fear. She felt every feeling that was never present when Tomas had been with her. It was like he was a cure for it all- and as soon as he left . . . it all bubbled back up.

Elsa hiccupped into her pillow, before letting out another sob. Anna rubbed a circle on her sister's back, hoping that she would somehow be able to help her feel better. A part of Anna really wanted to grab her blanket and wrap it around herself- Elsa's feelings had frozen the room in such a way that everything was still and cold. Another part of Anna, a bigger part, knew that was selfish and that she should suck it up and console her sister.

"I-" Elsa tried to say something, but another hiccup interrupted her. She gave up on whatever she had tried to say, and instead curled in on herself. Anna rested one hand on Elsa's arm, still trying to bring some type of comfort to her.

"Elsa, I'm so sorry." Anna mumbled.

The Queen sucked in a shaky breath and rubbed at her cheek. "What for? It's not your fault. It's all mine." She whimpered.

"Don't say that!" Anna countered, grasping her sister's shoulder. "This isn't your fault and you know that."

Elsa looked over at her sister, her face ridden with guilt. "He told me to go inside." She closed her eyes, as if this pained her awfully. "I should have . . . I- we were talking when the wave hit. If I had just gone inside- if I hadn't been so stubborn, he wouldn't have been standing there- he-" She gasped in an air of breath, and Anna leaned into her side- wrapping her arms around her sister in a sideways hug.

"Elsa, this isn't your fault. There was no way you could have known this was going to happen." Anna stared at her sister, like the longer she starred at her, the more believable she'd be.

Elsa opened her mouth to say something else, but another voice but her off.

"Mama?"

Both women turned their heads, despite knowing exactly who they'd see. Ina was standing in the now open doorway- she must have opened it; with one of her hands on the door frame. Her dark eyes were staring at Elsa. She obviously hadn't expected to see her. Her face was twisted in to a mask of confusion, her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips slightly parted. She was wearing her nightgown with her robe thrown over it, and her feet were bare. She lifted a hand and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, which she then turned on Anna.

"Ina." Elsa choked, urging the young girl to turn back to her mother. The Queen was supporting her weight with her elbow, after attempting to shove herself into a sitting position. "Ina, Sweetie,"

Ina stepped forward, but looked down at her feet as soon as they touched the floor. The ice that covered it in no way looked like it might melt. She shifted her weight on her feet, and then looked up at her mother. She had never seen her mother's room frozen like this- but she had heard about it. At Elsa's request, Anna had told all the kids about what Elsa did when she grieved. Ina knew very well that this was what Elsa was doing.

So it meant Elise had been telling the truth.

"Ina . . . hon," Anna mumbled, standing up from the bed. Ina didn't give her a chance to say anything, before she was backing up again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She hissed, narrowing her eyes at her aunt. "You told Elise. You probably told the others too. So why didn't you tell _me_?" She balled her hands into fists. "My father is dead- and it didn't cross your mind to _tell me_?"

She was screaming by the time she finished. Anna had expected she would be upset- who wouldn't? Knowing Ina, seeing her get angry was to be expected too- but furious?

"Sweetheart- we wanted Elsa to be able to tell you." Anna said, stepping towards Ina. She just took a step backwards.

"I don't care," She yelled. Taking another step away from them. Elsa was slowly breathing from the bed, her tear streaked face turned up to her daughter. Ina glanced at her. "You should have woken me up- you should have _told me_!" She yelled.

Anna lifted her hand up. "I'm sorry. We wanted to tell you just-"

"No!" Ina cut her off. "My Papa is _dead_! You didn't tell me! I can't forgive you this!" She turned to run out of the room, but Anna grabbed the younger girl's wrist before she could. Ina half turned back, staring at the hand. She grimaced.

Before she could say anything, Ina whipped her hand out of Anna's. The princess didn't even get a chance to see her aunt's shocked face, as she had already turned and ran down the hall.

"Ina!" Elsa screamed, pushing herself off the bed. Her face, still wet with tears, was now covered in panic. Frost was creeping away from the bed posts as her fear spread around the room. Anna leaned out the door to call after Ina.

"Ina, stop!" Anna yelled, moving to chase after her. The white-haired girl looked over her shoulder, throwing her hand back as well. Magic shot from her fingers, and ice began forming throughout the hall. Anna gasped, and had to stop from running into the ice shards that suddenly appeared. She fell into the wall instead, just barely stopping herself from being impaled by the spikes.

"Ina!" She yelled, though the girl disappeared around the corner, and likely wasn't returning.

Anna leaned her weight against the hall, backing up slightly to distance herself from the spikes. She could hear Elsa gasp behind her, and knew that she had moved to try and follow the both of them. Anna looked over her shoulder at her sister.

Elsa was a mess- and Anna bet she wasn't doing much better. Anna gave the Queen a weak smile, and opened her arms for a hug. "She'll talk to you about this when she's ready." Anna tried to sooth, though she didn't sound confident. Elsa rushed over to her, and was folded in her sister's arms.

She was crying- she couldn't be sure if she'd ever stop. She had no idea how Ina was handling this. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She wanted to be there for her daughter, of course, but Elsa wasn't sure if she could look at Ina's eyes- the same eyes that Tomas used to have. The thought led to another sob from Elsa, and Anna smoothing down her hair.

"It'll be okay." Anna mumbled. "I promise."

**Oh my god, can someone count how many times I said "sorry" in this chapter? Wow. Not my favorite chapter. I'm looking forward to writing the next one though. 'Cause something ACTUALLY exciting happens. Yay. **

**So, I need votes for the contest thingy-majigy. I can post an AN about it, but I know people don't like those. Anyway, if you would rather have a fanfiction contest or an art contest, please leave a review saying which or message me. Whichever!**

**Okay, thanks for reading! I hope you like it so far!**


	9. Gates

Cyril wandered the halls alone; he didn't know what else to do. He felt stuck- stuck between so many different things. He was stuck between trusting and distrusting Ina, believing or not believing what Kristoff had told him . . . he wasn't even sure if he was fighting with Elise or not. She had apologized, and he had too . . . but then she had run off and told Ina about Tomas.

He let his hands brush along the wallpaper, the familiar feeling of the patterns dancing beneath his fingertips. He felt the carpet and wooden floorboards beneath his feet- the same floor he felt every day of his life. This place was home. _His_ home- with his family, and possessions, and everything he ever knew. He hated to admit it, but he was considering leaving. It'd be so much easier if he left. He had no reason to stay- he was eighteen, an adult. He could make his own life somewhere. He wanted to make his own life somewhere. Why couldn't he?

Easy. Because he was scared. He was scared of leaving his family, the life he knew. How could he leave? He had a brother who needed him and a relationship with his sister he needed to fix. His uncle had just died for god's sake- he couldn't leave after something like that. Where would he go, anyway?

So, Cyril supposed that was another thing he was stuck in. Arendelle. He couldn't leave.

He balled one if his hands into a fist, and as he turned the corner he planned to send it through the wall. Only he was too surprised to do it. For in front of him in the hall was a wall of ice spikes, and on the other side was his aunt's door. Elsa would never do that . . . that could only mean one thing.

Ina did it.

Cyril turned on his heel and was running back down the hall faster than he thought he ever could. He should just let it go- he should just let _her_ go. But he couldn't. For whatever reason, his instincts told him to stop her.

He turned the opposite way down the hall he had come, figuring that Ina couldn't have gone very far. When he got to the staircase, he took them two at a time (almost resulting in him tripping) and hit the main foyer. He whipped his head around, trying to determine where she'd go.

_Why does it matter_? _Just go back upstairs_! Cyril tried to yell at himself, but he couldn't seem to connect reason to actions. He saw that the door was open, and took off towards it. He pushed himself outside, and blinked into the sunlight.

Ina was there, huffing and puffing in the courtyard. She was staring at the gates, wide and open as they usually were. Cyril paused. He could tell- she was going to bolt.

"Ina!" He yelled, cupping his mouth so the sound would travel farther. She looked over her shoulder, her dark eyes cold and hard. As soon as her eyes landed on him, she grimaced. Then she turned.

Cyril was running after her as soon as she looked away, and he was admittedly much faster than her. He caught up almost immediately, and managed to get in front of her before she reached the gates.

"Ina, stop!" He held up his arms to block her, in case she tried to run past him. She was still huffing but raised her hands in what Cyril assumed was defence. He straightened his spine slightly, relaxing his posture. "You can't leave." He said after a second.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. He didn't look like she was going to break down crying, like any other person would at the mention of their father passing away. She just looked angry. "Why? I'm sick of this family." She starred at him, as if trying to tell him she was sick of _him_. "All the secrets, and lies, and unfairness. I don't want any of it anymore." She kept her hands raised in front of her.

"Nobody thought to tell me about my Papa. No one thought I'd want to know first. I didn't hear it from my mother, and I didn't hear it from my brother." She suddenly curled her fingers, no longer defensive but offensive. "It's like I'm not part of this family. And I'd like to stop pretending I am."

Her eyes glanced over Cyril's shoulders out the gates. _So that's what she wants_, Cyril thought. _To get out of our family_. _Is that really all she wants_? "I hate to break it to you," He said; once again ready to block her. "But you're a part of this family weather you like it or not." He tried to soften his eyes, to get her to see reason, despite every nerve in his body telling him that she was beyond it. "Aunt Elsa needs you Ina. You can't leave her."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't bring her into this." She sidestepped, to get a better view at Arendelle outside the gates. Cyril stepped with her. Despite how much he felt like it'd be better if Ina moved on, if she went somewhere else and was happy, he knew he couldn't let her go. He had to at least _try_ to make her stay in Arendelle- for Elsa's sake. Tom's too.

Suddenly she grinned, and placed her hands on her hips. "I suggest you move."

Before Cyril even had a chance to be confused about what she was saying, though _everything_ that was happening was confusing him, Ina's hands once again shot out in front of her, and her powers along with it. A blast of wind hit him, but not as hard as the sudden ice sheet that collided into his shoulder.

Cyril yelped out in pain, but Ina didn't stop the ice. Cyril was pushed back by the sheet, until he lost his footing. Even then, Ina didn't stop. She continued pushing her power, pushing _him_, until he managed to roll out of its path.

Cyril's shoulder was throbbing, but he didn't suspect it was broken or dislocated. Bruised, maybe. Ina was now in between him and the gates, and she was watching him. He was sure now- Ina wasn't to be trusted. She could have _killed_ him- and it wasn't even accidental. Cyril stared at her- still too stunned to follow. He did, however, force himself to his feet.

"You want to leave." Cyril forced himself to stammer, not meaning it as a question, but a statement.

Ina shook her head. Cyril could picture her as a five-year-old again, young but with the same presence of . . . well, Ina-ness. Her stubborn, unpredictable personality that had just been passed off as regular childish behavior then. Cyril remembered when he had been playing with her and accidently broke her toy. Despite how many times he apologized, she had still shaken her head and stormed from the room.

That was how he saw it now- no matter how much he tried to talk her out of running away, he knew he couldn't stop her. He didn't know why he thought he could. Her forcefulness, not even accounting for her powers, made her as unstoppable as a storm wind.

"You have no idea what I want." She hissed. Then she started running.

_She had just lost her father_. _She just handles grief different then everyone_. Cyril tried to reason with himself. _Let her go_.

But he didn't listen to his own brain. He took off after her, forcing his pained shoulder to pump his arms faster. Ina glanced over her shoulder as she ran. She had reached the gates by then, and whipped around to face her fast approaching cousin.

"Just leave me alone." She whispered. She pointed her hands at the bottom of the gates, and her powers shot out to meet it. Ice spikes, like the ones Cyril had seen in the hallway, grew from the spot; and as Ina raised her hands, the spikes got larger. Cyril skidded to a stop and starred at the growing ice wall.

It didn't take him long to realize what was going on. Ina was blocking off the gates.

As the ice grew, Ina was soon blocked completely from view. Only her morphed image through the frozen ice could be seen.

"Ina! Stop- what are you doing!?" Cyril yelled to her. She didn't respond, but Cyril was positive she had heard him. She didn't let the spikes grow to completely fill the gates, but instead stopped them a little over halfway. Far too high for anyone to climb, but with enough open space that it taunted those stuck inside.

Cyril gasped, and watched as Ina's distorted shape through the ice get smaller as she ran in the opposite direction. He stumbled backwards and panted hard. He could hardly process what had happened.

For whatever reason, Ina didn't want to be found.

* * *

><p>The guards had alerted Kristoff about the situation as soon as they managed to find him. They couldn't give him a lot of information, as they didn't actually know what happened. All that they knew was that Ina had blocked off the main gates, Cyril was standing shell shocked by them, and Ina had disappeared.<p>

It wasn't hard to understand why they had come to him with this instead of Elsa.

When Kristoff made it to the courtyard, he was as surprised as the guards were. They had already begun hacking away at the ice with picks by the time he arrived, and Cyril was still standing where the guard had described him to be.

Cyril looked odd standing there- a mix of shock, confusion and fear dancing across his features. His golden hair was picked up in the light wind, pulling it towards the gates.

"Cy," Kristoff mumbled, clasping one of his son's shoulders. The boy hissed in pain, breaking from his paralyzed state of shock, and grabbed at the shoulder Kristoff had just touched. Kristoff's hand hovered in the air for a moment, before dropping it back to his side.

Cyril rubbed at his sore arm, and turned to look at his father. "Ina found out." He gushed, not even waiting for Kristoff to actually ask what happened. "Elle told her. She froze the hallway by Aunt Elsa's room, and then I followed her out here-"

"What," Kristoff held up his hands to slow his son. "Elise told Ina about Tomas? When she . . ." He drowned off, realizing that it had been himself who stopped Cyril from going after Elise- from preventing her to tell Ina. "Oh no."

Cyril bobbed his head in a way that Sver probably would have. "I know. And then she came out here, and I was trying to convince her to stay. She was angry- she said she didn't want to be a part of our family. When I tried to block the gates from her, she hit me with an ice sheet." The young man gestured at his injured arm, and then over his shoulder to where the ice had collided with the stone wall.

Kristoff rubbed his forehead with his hand and sighed. _This was bad_. _This was really, really bad_.

"And after she hit me . . ." Cyril pointed at the thin gates, still blocked by the ice. It would take quite some time to get it cleared. Kristoff groaned, and rubbed his bare arms. Goosebumps had risen due to the cold breeze, and his hair stood on edge. Why was he so cold?

His stomach dropped. It was July- it did not get this cold within a few minutes. That could only mean one thing.

_Oh no_.

Kristoff and Cyril's eyes met- panic flickering between them. The winter that Grand Pabbie had warned them about- the one Ina was going to cause. Was it starting? Cyril stepped towards his father, trying to warm his own arms as well. "She's-"

He never got a chance to finish, as both men were soon distracted by a single, perfect snowflake flutter down in the breeze, and land in Cyril's hair.

* * *

><p>Sver sat cross-legged on his bed, with Elise sitting on the floor. She had come to his room with tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes, but hadn't admitted to crying. She had tried to explain a little about death to him, about what had happened to Tomas. He didn't mention Kristoff had already given him this lecture, and instead stayed quiet until she was done talking.<p>

Sver sniffled. He had cried a little too, but he didn't admit it. Even though it was just his sister, whom had been crying to and who would have comforted him, he didn't want to tell her. He really just wanted his Mama, but she was busy with Aunt Elsa. Even his father had disappeared to go talk to Cyril.

Finally, the seven-year-old dared to speak up after a long moment of silence. "Did you tell her? Ina, I mean?"

Elise glanced up at him, blinking in surprise. How had _Sver_ known? She thought she had blocked him from knowing about everything going on with their cousin- but she guessed she was wrong. She tucked a piece of hair from one of her braids behind her ear and straightened her spine.

"Yeah. I told her. She deserved to know."

Sver nodded, but he still didn't look convinced. "I thought Papa said they were going to wait until Auntie Elsa knew." He added, his voice small and innocent. Elise smiled weakly at him. She really loved her baby brother. She didn't argue with him like she did with Cyril, and he was the only kid in the family younger than her. She liked having someone to look up to her- to be a role model.

"I know Sev, and I should have waited," She admitted. "But Ina has the right to know."

Sver fell back against his pillows and let out a puff of air. "What do you think Ina's going to do when she finds out?" He asked, curiousity coloring his tone. He still held a bit of the quietness that accompanied his sadness, but wondering about Ina seemed to distract him enough for it to be almost unnoticeable.

Elise shrugged, and tugged on one of her braids. "I really have no idea. But I guess we'll find out."

The two were oblivious to the clouds that had begun forming above the sky, or snowflakes that were beginning to fall outside their window.

**So originally, Cyril trying to convince Ina to stay was going to be a lot more confrontational then it turned out to be- ie: then were going to fight longer and worse. I didn't think it fit as well as I wanted it to, so thus it was dulled to this.**

**I don't know why, but I can imagine Sver as being a kid who'd be really obsessed with spiderman or something if he existed in current time.**

**Remember- you can start applying for the contest on Monday! Please join the contest, I'd appreciate it, and go look at the prize list on my last AN if you haven't yet! Okay, I'll post again soon- bye!**


	10. Curtains

"What am I going to do?" Elsa whispered, more to herself than to Anna. She had managed to stop crying after doing so all morning, and Anna even convinced her to get dressed. She sat at her desk now, her forehead in one hand. Anna was making up Elsa's bed, maneuvering around the snowflakes still hovering in the air. The sheets were stiff with frost, and Anna decided just to change them completely. Occasionally, Elsa broke the silence with a sniffle.

Anna looked over at her sister as she tucked the new blankets into place. She could feel how cold the air was- even more so the closer you got to Elsa. She had no idea how she was feeling right now. Anna had always thought Tomas was a quiet man, but polite and nice to be around. It was hard to believe that her brother in law was dead. Dead. It just didn't fit right when placed next to his name.

"It will be okay. It's hard now, but one day . . ." Anna shrugged. She felt like she was lying when she said it'd be okay. She really hoped it would be, but how could she know for sure? Anna tried to imagine how heartbroken she'd feel if her Kristoff died. She couldn't help pushing the thoughts away as soon as they surfaced. Instead she starred at the curtains, which she had closed when Elsa got dressed.

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. The fact that she knew she was fine, that'd she'd go on breathing and living while Tomas wouldn't cut her so deep she felt like she'd been stabbed. It happened over and over again, and it took every fiber of her being now to burst into tears all over again.

She closed her eyes. Tears pressed against the back of her eyelids, but she forced them to stay back. She was sick of crying. She hated it. It wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't bring Tomas back.

"Elsa," Anna said quietly, moving to stand next to her elder sister. "I think it'd be best if you talked to Ina. She's probably really confused about everything going on right now."

Elsa looked up at her younger sister, searching for any doubt on her sibling's face. When she found none, she nodded. Elsa still wasn't sure if she could face Ina- if she could see Tomas's eyes copied in her own. _Ina isn't Tomas_, Elsa forced herself to remember. _Ina is alive and she needs you_.

"You're right." She nodded after a moment, her voice hoarse from all the crying she had done. "I should talk to Ina. Tom too." Elsa forced her chair back and stood up. She brushed her hands down her skirt to straighten it, and then straightened her spine as well.

For a moment, Elsa looked like Elsa again. She looked as regal and composed as she usually did. She looked like the great Queen she was- the respectful mother she had become, and the brave older sister that Anna loved.

"It'll be okay." She repeated Anna's words, likely more to herself than to her sister. Anna nodded anyway, and stepped forward so Elsa could hold onto her arm. Anna's foot nearly slipped under her on the ice, and it was Elsa that ended up supporting Anna. She glanced at the ice covering the floor, as if she had just noticed it.

"I'm sorry, I-" Anna shook her head at Elsa's apologizes. She knew that this was what happened- she didn't want Elsa to feel like it was something she had to hide again. Anna smiled weakly at Elsa, and then the two began walking towards the door.

They had hardly passed Elsa's bed when the door was thrown open and Kristoff was bolting inside. The women didn't even have time to be surprised, as he was moving past them towards the window.

"Kristoff, what are you-" Anna started, but her husband cut her off.

"I didn't listen." He gushed, turning his eyes back to his wife and sister in law. "Grand Pabbie told me this would happen, but I didn't listen, and now it's happened and I-" Kristoff grabbed at his head and pressed his hands to his temple like he wanted to crush him skull in. Anna stepped forward, her concern momentarily jumping from her sister to husband.

"Slow down." Anna held up her hands as if to demonstrate her point. "Kristoff, what happened?"

He sucked in a breath and clutched at his chest, preparing for a rant. "A few years ago, Grand Pabbie told me there was going to be another winter. I- I didn't believe him. I thought he had been wrong this time. But _I_ was wrong. It's happening- the winter's already started." He looked at Anna, then Elsa, both of whom were looking at him with a confused glare.

"It's Ina," He sighed, grabbing the curtain and pulling it out of the way. "She's gone. And she's started another winter."

Both of the women gasped, stumbling backwards from shock as they starred at the heavy snowfall that had begun falling outside, and the thick, dark clouds that covered the sky.

* * *

><p>Cyril was storming back through the halls, the pain in his shoulder just an annoying thought in the back of his mind. He had bigger things to worry about. Much, <em>much <em>bigger things. His footfalls were fast and heavy, and his fingers were balled into fists.

He was angry. More than angry. He was furious. He was mad at Ina for causing all this. He was mad at his father for stopping him from stopping Elise. He was mad at the entire kingdom of Leighton for needing Elsa and Tomas to visit. He was especially mad at Elise for telling Ina. _She_ did this. _She _made Ina mad. It was _her_ fault that Ina ran away and the eternal winter was starting all over again.

Cyril rounded a corner, her face flaming. He probably looked like a mad man, running through the halls and huffing. He was sure that steam must have been coming out of his ears and nose. He didn't care though. He was on a mission.

As he passed Elise's door, he didn't bother stopping at it. He knew she wouldn't be there. He grimaced at the door hanging oddly on its hinges. If he'd spoken to her earlier, maybe none of this would have happened.

Cyril kept down the hall, passing his parent's room and his own. He rounded another corner, the carpet worn from the many times they had slid around it. Finally, he arrived at Sver's room. He didn't bother knocking before he barrelled inside.

Elise and Sver sat cuddled together on a chair, a book in front of the both of them. Their brown eyes turned up to Cyril, and he didn't give either of them a chance to speak as he stopped in the middle of the room.

"_You_." He pointed a finger at Elise, accusation clearly coloring his features once again. "You did this. You told her." He kept his finger raised at his sister as her cheeks flamed, and she closed the book.

"She deserved to know-"

"You had no right to tell her." Cyril seethed. He could never hate Elise- no matter what. But he certainly hated what she had done- and that hatred bled into his voice. "It's _your_ fault."

Sver's eyes glanced between his brother and sister. His feet were tucked by Elise's side. Even if he wanted to stand up and avoid this argument, he couldn't. He was stuck. He hated being stuck- not being able to move. He decided to instead watch quietly. He could felt Elise stiffen next to him.

"Cy," Elise sounded like she was begging him. "I'm _sorry_. But her Papa just died, and she didn't even _know_. I had to tell her- she had a right to hear what happened."

A look of disgust crossed his face. She really had no idea what she did. "Yeah," He nodded, sarcasm entering his voice for a split second. "She had a right to know what happened. But you had no right to tell her. Aunt Elsa should have."

"You think I don't know that?" She yelled back, her voice rising. "I _know _Aunt Elsa should have told her- it was just too late-"

Cyril scoffed, and ran his hand through his hair. "How stupid _are you_?" He asked; his voice no longer at a scream. It was like the quietness, the actual question in his voice made it worse. Elise sucked in a breath.

"I'm not stupid." She mumbled, lowering her eyes to her lap.

"Well you must be," Cyril nodded, as if he had realized an obvious answer after many hours of thinking it over. "If you have no idea what you've done."

Elise looked like she was going to cry. Sver wasn't doing much better. "I know what I did! _I told her_- she's upset about it, but she would have been no matter who told her!" She eyes were watering and she couldn't clearly see her brother through the swirling moisture in her eyes.

Cyril stilled for a moment, his anger dimensioning by only a fraction. "You . . ." He said after a second. "You really don't know what you've done." He starred at his sister, on the verge of tears and curling in on herself. _She's an idiot_. The thought popped into his head.

Cyril suddenly stepped towards the window, and the curtain that blocked it. "Because you told Ina," He said, his annoyance and anger and disgust all bleeding into his tone all over again. "All if this is your fault."

With a harsh pull on the curtain, Cyril pulled the heavy fabric away from the window, and revealed the destruction that Ina had caused. Sver's room overlooked the front gates, and they could all clearly see the remaining ice shards, and the snow that was beginning to coat the ground. Elise sucked in a breath and ran to the window. Cyril stepped out of her way.

"No . . ." She whispered, more to herself than anyone else. The window was cold as the winter-like chill threatened to enter. Elise laid her hand against the glass, and then her forehead. _Had Ina really done all this_? She questioned herself. _Could this really have all been my fault_?

"No." Elise repeated again letting her eyes slip closed. _God- how could she I be so stupid_! She mentally chizzled. She should have known that Ina's offer was strange; that telling her would only make things worse. Why couldn't she have listened to her brother? Why!

Sver, now not trapped by Elise's legs, bounded off the chair and to the window. He starred in amazement at the storm brewing outside.

"When I said I wanted a blizzard when Auntie Elsa got home," He mumbled. "This isn't what I meant."

**Hi. Yeah, it's kind of a shorter one. Not sure if I like this one or not. I want to change a lot of things, but it's the only way I know how to set the next bit up. *sigh* it will have to do.**

**Hey, check out my last AN if you're interested in a contest. I'm going to start taking entries in on Monday, so be ready for that. I'll update again soon- bye for now!**

**PS****: In this chapter and one I posted a little while back, there was a bit of foreshadowing. I don't think authors are supposed to **_**tell **_**people when they hide foreshadowing, but I was too proud of it not to say it was there. So…yeah. It's not obvious foreshadowing though, like Ina was going to be the one to start the winter (I stated that in the first chapter so…that one was not a big secret), it'll only make sense when you read what happens later. Ok, I'll go now. Bye!**


	11. Planning

Anna, Kristoff and the kids all stood on the front steps of the castle, and Elsa was just inside the open door. She was afraid to step outside, fearing that she would only make things worse. As soon as the gates had been cleared enough, townspeople had swarmed into the courtyard- confused about the sudden storm.

Cyril, Elise and Sver had all rushed outside as soon as they learned what had happened. Cyril and Elise stood as far away as possible from each other- obviously, they were fighting again. The adults didn't have time to find out why- they hurried to tell Tom, and then got to the courtyard as fast as they could.

Elsa made sure that everyone could see her still inside the castle- she didn't want them to assume _she_ caused this, nor did she want them to think she was trying to hide from the issue. She glanced at Anna, whom had brought a blanket down from her own room and was wrapped in it.

The younger women stepped forward, and cleared her throat, hoping it was enough over the loud murmur of talking people. "Um . . . excuse me!" Anna called out, readjusting her blanket. Everyone quieted down, far sooner than Anna would have expected. They were all eager to hear what was going on.

"Uh . . ." She glanced at Elsa, who just raised her shoulders a little. Anna glanced back at the townspeople. "Well, uh . . ." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then continued on. "The Queen and Lord were going to Leighton- and, they got caught in a storm. Tomas didn't make it back- and, well," She could hear people gasp in the crowd and murmur around again. Anna looked over her shoulder, desperately wanting her sister to help her.

Elsa finally braved Ina's storm and stepped outside the castle. She walked over to Anna, and tried to give her an encouraging smile. The townspeople quieted down again at the sight of the Queen preparing to speak.

"After learning about what happened to my husband," Elsa started, her voice firmer and stronger than Anna would have expected for a women who had spent the last day crying. "And for other reasons, Ina ran away. She caused this storm- but . . ." Elsa closed her eyes and brought in a slow breath through her nose. "I don't think it will be the same type of storm that I had caused. Mine was accidental, but I think Ina has more reason behind hers."

She could see the confused looks cross the crowd's faces. What could she say to them? She hardly knew what was going on- let alone explain it. It had been a long day- Elsa just wanted to go to bed. But she knew she couldn't. It was _her_ husband that had died. It was _her_ daughter that had run away. And it was _her_ Kingdom that might be in danger. This was all her responsibility.

She gestured to the open castle doors, sidestepping so people had a better view at it. "The castle is open to anyone who'll need shelter. I recommend that you stay in your homes or the castle until we can calm Ina down enough to stop this."

"How will you calm her down if she's not here?" Someone shouted from the crowd. Elsa tried to search out the voice, but Kristoff piped in before she could.

"We're going after her, of course." He said; his voice fully convinced this was the plan. The Queen glanced at him, trying to understand if this was what he actually thought was a good idea. There was more chatter in the crowd, and small clouds were created every time someone let their breath out.

"Why don't _you _just stop this winter- you did it last time?" Someone else called. Elsa struggled to keep her voice calm and even.

"I can't undo whatever Ina does with her powers." Elsa reminded. The royal family knew this, but the townspeople didn't. "She can't undo mine either. If she had seen the winter I made, she wouldn't have been able to stop it- the same way I can't stop hers. She has to be the one to stop it."

She didn't hear any more questions, so Kristoff and Elsa turned back to face their families, who had been quiet up until this point. Anna had picked up Sver so they could share the blanket, and Tom stood in between Elise and Cyril.

Elsa tried to shove all thoughts of Tomas away- right now their biggest concern was Ina. "Okay," She said, bringing all attention back to her. "Kristoff and I will go. We'll bring a few guards with us. Maybe we should try and find Olaf- who knows, maybe he saw her." She was already planning out the journey. Kristoff had found Elsa last time, there was a good chance he could-

"What? No. I'm coming too." Anna interjected, stepping forward to emphases her point.

"If Moms' going then so I am. I know more about climbing then her, I can help." Cyril added, placing his hands on his waist.

"This was my fault- I'm going." Elise muttered, refusing to raise her eyes to Cyril's.

"No, you're staying here with everyone else." Anna retorted, turning to look at her son, and then her daughter.

"And _you're_ staying with the kids." Elsa and Kristoff both said, almost in unison. Anna opened her mouth to argue.

"I wanna' go!" Sver piped up, wiggling around to try and free himself from his mother's arms and blanket.

"No." Everyone except the boy said.

"She's _my_ sister, I should go after her." Tom offered, stepping to stand next to his mother.

"No, you're staying here too." Elsa said, frowning at her son.

"Listen to your Mama, Tom." Anna said, setting Sver down.

"Why? _You_ got to go when it was _your_ sister that caused a winter." He reminded.

"That was different!" Anna yelped.

The entire family was bickering while the townspeople watched. If they weren't in such a worrisome situation, it would almost be funny. They were all talking at once, trying to get there point across as to why they should or shouldn't go. After a moment, Elsa finally remembered that the crowd was still watching, and turned away from the argument.

"Everyone, please return to your homes!" Elsa called, lifting her hands up in a nearly defensive way. "If you need anything, feel free to come to the castle- but for now, go get warm!" She dismissed, nodding at her subjects as they began to walk away.

Many people glanced at her and the rest of the family, and then at the snow that was steadily falling. Everyone was worried. It wasn't as shocking as it had been the first time- when no one knew. Everyone was aware of Ina and Elsa's powers now- and having experienced a winter like this before, it wasn't as difficult to understand. Still, they threw looks at the Queen and gossiped quietly to one another as they exited the courtyard. She sighed.

"Okay, let's get inside and continue this there." Elsa mumbled, ushering her family inside.

They found themselves all squished into the small study. Elsa wasn't sure why she had picked this room, but it seemed like a good place to made decisions. Hey, maybe that was why she wanted to have it here- so they could decide everything in one place. Anna crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the desk.

"Elsa- you, Kristoff and I will go." She nodded towards the kids, who were all trying to squeeze onto the couch. Only Elise remained standing. "Cyril can take care of the others until we get back."

Elsa shook her head, while Kristoff stepped forward and grabbed Anna's elbow. "No. You're staying here. I don't want you getting hurt." He told her, his eyes begging.

"First off- someone else said that to me, and _that_ didn't end well." She hinted at her awful former engagement. "Second, I'm not going to get hurt."

"The last time you said "I'm not going to get hurt," you kind of died." Kristoff reminded. Elsa winced. Sver shrieked.

"Mama died!?" He yelped. He was the only one who hadn't been explained that story yet- they were waiting until he was older. Cyril patted his shoulder comfortingly as he panicked, and Elsa shook her head.

"We'll explain that later, Sev." She said, once again returning to the current problem they were facing. "We're wasting time. Ina is out there doing who knows what, while we argue about who's going after her."

The Queen sighed, and stepped towards her sister. Anna couldn't help notice how much older she looked. It was like the events of today had aged her. "Anna," She said slowly. "I know you can take care of yourself. But _promise_ me- you'll go back home if we think it gets to be too dangerous for you. Promise?"

Anna nodded. "I promise."

Kristoff opened his mouth to argue Elsa's decision, but Elise had already spoken up.

"What about us? What will we do?" She asked, tugging on one of her braids. Her guilt was eating her from the inside, and it showed on her face. Despite everything that happened, she still wanted to help Ina. This was beyond just trying to get her to become Queen- she wanted her cousin's respect. Knowing that this was the one thing she wanted bit at Elise like a wild dog.

"You," Elsa gestured to all the children. "_All of you_ are staying here."

Everyone inhaled, preparing to argue, though Anna scurried forward before they could get a word in. "We don't have time to fight about this. We have to get ready." She quickly planted a kiss on her youngest son's head.

"Anna, please-" Kristoff was going to argue again, but she shook her head. Elsa did too.

"_We don't have time_." Elsa repeated her sister, looking at her brother in law desperately. Even though Kristoff couldn't stop Anna if he wanted to, she at least wanted him to accept that he couldn't change her mind. He sighed.

"Meet us downstairs at noon to see us off." Elsa called over her shoulder at the kids as she left the room. Anna hurried after her, and then a reluctant Kristoff. All the children were stunned.

"But I wanted to go." Sver complained, crossing his arms over his chest in a pout. Cyril ruffled his hair playfully, but he felt as dejected as his brother did. Aunt Elsa going- sure, that was understandable. She was Ina's mother, it only made sense. Plus, she had the same powers as Ina; she'd know how to get her to stop this. Kristoff- he knew the way around Arendelle's mountains backwards and forwards. But Anna . . . she was just too stubborn to turn down, Cyril supposed.

Elise looked at the door, and flew out of it as soon as her parents had passed through. Cyril and Tom watched her go, while Sver remained pouting on the couch. "It's okay," Cyril mumbled, as though these words would be a comfort to the boy. Sver was still upset as he felt to go to his room, and as the two remaining boys left as well.

* * *

><p>Anna pulled out her winter clothes from her wardrobe, and laid them down on her bed. She had a few winter outfits, all of which she kept in her main closet in case Elsa had planned a surprise snowball fight or something. Anna bit her lip and tilted her head, trying to decide which dress she should wear. <em>Hmm, I should probably wear the heavier one<em>. She thought. _But what if the winter doesn't last long and Ina thaws it right away_? _Then we'll be burning up on the way back_.

Anna lifted one of her cloaks up just as Kristoff entered the room. She tried to smile at him, but the stress had gotten to her, and it was hard to force happiness on her face. "Which one do you think?" She asked, holding up an olive green cloak, and then a dark orange one.

"I think," Kristoff mumbled, pulling Anna into his arms. "That you should stay here. Where you'll be safe."

Anna sighed, and leaned her head against her husband's chest. She knew he wanted her to stay home- to stay with the kids. But if she were able to, she'd make _him _stay home. It was only the fact that he was the only one that could actually take them to Ina that made her keep her mouth shut. She gave him a weak smile.

"You know I'm not going to stay." She said quietly, trying to make her tone light and matter-of-fact.

He ducked his head a little, so he was closer to her height. "Please?" He was basically begging her. He planted a quick kiss on her lips, but then pulled away so he could look her in the eye again. "For me?"

Anna shook her head.

Kristoff let out a long exhale, which stirred the air and Anna's bangs as well. "You won't stay? Not even to take care of the kids?"

"They're all old enough to take care of themselves- and they can all take care of Sver." Anna reminded, glancing at the clothing lying on her bed. "They'll be fine without us for a couple of days."

Kristoff searched Anna's eyes for a moment. She knew that he was serious about wanting her to stay home- if he wanted her to come along, even a little bit, he'd be making jokes and playful excuses to why she should not come. He was acting so honest; it almost made Anna feel guilty for not wanting the same thing.

Kristoff lowered his hands and placed them on Anna's lower stomach. "What about the baby?" He asked, basically whispering the words. "The baby will be safe if you stay home."

Anna rested her hands above Kristoff's and smiled again. She had suspected she was pregnant for a few weeks now- only a few days before, a doctor had checked her over and confirmed it. He had agreed to keep it a secret, until Anna was ready to tell everyone. Only Kristoff knew.

"If I stay, I'll be stressed out like crazy. _That _won't be good for the baby." She reminded him, tugging lightly on his hands until he wrapped them around her in a hug again. "And besides, nothing's going to happen to me. You'll make sure of that." A touch of humor had returned to her tone.

"But-"

Anna placed a quick kiss on his lips to silence him, and then turned back to her clothing. "You get really protective whenever I'm pregnant." She noted, hoping the joke would calm him down a little. Kristoff did smile, and then he wrapped his arms around her in a hug from behind.

"I'm always protective." He reminded Anna, before he let her go and half-fake sulked towards his own wardrobe.

Anna tilted her head. "True." Then she picked up her clothing and began preparing for the journey they'd embark on.

**I don't think I set this chapter up right . . . oh well, too late now. I hope you've liked to story so far! I've really enjoyed writing it (and reading the reviews)! Feel free to keep leaving me reviews; I love reading them (as I said before).**

**And yah. Anna's pregnant. I wanted to wait before I brought it up (I already knew that I was going to have Anna expecting a baby) but then I kind of though "I would use the baby card a million times over if I thought it'd help my case," So that's what I made Kristoff do. **

**Surprise?**

**I hope it was somewhat a surprise. **

**Okay, I'll let you go- you can move on to other fanfics to read. Just remember to come back here when I post the next chapter! Oh- and don't forget, you can start sending me entries for the fanfic contest tomorrow! Join, it'll be fun!**

**Kay- bye for now!**


	12. Snow Queen

Ina was running. She wasn't sure how long she had been running- hours probably. The adrenaline had faded away, and she was exhausted. It didn't help that she had been moving upwards either. The wind swirled around her and hissed in her ears- almost taunting her and her difficult task. She trudged on though, cursing to herself.

Once, Ina had turned around- to look back at the home she had abandoned. She had seen the clouds, and the snow falling- but she didn't feel remorseful about it. No regret, no shame. In fact, she felt excited. Finally they would see what she was capable of.

The bright morning sunlight had been blocked out by clouds, but it would have been directly overheard. Ina glanced up to where the sun would be. The cold had never bothered her, and neither had the heat. Despite it having almost no effect on her- she couldn't help wondering how others were adapting to their new climate. She hoped they were finding it difficult.

_Why would they keep it from me? _She wondered. _It's my father who died- I should've been the first to know. They shouldn't have waited to tell me_.

Ina was so lost in thought that when she reached the top of the snowy hill, she hardly noticed the large crevice in front of her. She almost stepped off the edge before she snapped back to current time and fell backwards to prevent her from falling to her death. She was breathing hard, and as she shifted her foot she accidently pushed a bit of snow off the edge. It fell, and she feared she would too.

Carefully, she crawled backwards until she was a good few feet away from the edge. How she managed to get so close to it without noticing- she didn't know. She didn't really care either, as she was too busy trying to slow her heart rate and calm her breathing.

Finally, Ina forced herself to her feet. She brushed the snow off her dress, but it didn't do much good. She stepped backwards a bit, until she felt she was a safe distance from the crevice. She couldn't help but feel like an idiot for not noticing it- sheesh, _was_ she an idiot? Ina tried not to dwell on the thoughts.

She had barely stepped a few feet before the sun broke through the clouds. It wasn't much- just a single ray, but it still reflected off the snow and momentarily blinded Ina. She groaned, and lifted a hand to shield her eyes. Then she gasped.

Above her, on the mountain beyond, was what looked like a large slate of ice. It fractured the sunlight in a million different directions, which made it look like a giant, sparkling diamond. _It must mean the entire side of the mountain was covered in it. Ice_. Ina realized. _There has to be a cave or something I can stay in until I figure out where to go_.

Ina was running towards the ice before she fully thought out her plan. There'd be a cave somewhere in the ice- if there wasn't, she'd just make her own. It would protect her from animals while she was out here, and a place to hide from danger. _Yeah, a cave will be great_, Ina decided_. I can figure everything out today- and tomorrow act on it_.

As she neared the mountain, Ina slowed. She squinted her eyes, fearing that her fatigue had made her begin imaging things. But no- no matter how she looked at it, it never changed. It stood tall and looming over her, and Ina couldn't help the multiply waves of awe that fell over her.

Before her stood a magnificent castle made of ice and snow- it stood next to the mountain like it had sprouted right out of it. It was sculpted carefully, care _freely_- happily. It was on the other side of the crevice- Ina would have been disappointed about that, if not for the staircase that led to it.

Like a giddy little girl, Ina rushed towards it. She let her hand hover over the handrail for a moment. She _knew_ that her mother made this- all of this. She had just never seen it before- in person at least. Many artists had thought that the Arendelle winter was a great subject- so many portraits of it coated the castle walls. Ina had seen paintings of the ice castle many times, as one hung on the wall outside her bedroom. But now she was _here_, in person.

Ina glanced down at her feet, just a few inches away from the first step. _Should I_? _Yes, yes I should_. With a suddenly _whoosh_, she brought her foot down on step. The snow that had built up and been blown onto the stairs cleared away, and another layer of frost- darker, like black ice, shot from her foot.

A smile crossed Ina's face. She took another step, and another. Before she knew it, she was running up the stairs, her bare toes hitting the ice silently. She kicked a shard of ice off the side of the staircase, falling off the edge with no railing to block it. She was too excited to fully register the fact that there was only half a handrail.

She looked up to the ice palace, anticipation setting her nerves on fire. With a bark of laughter, she ran up to the thick, mildly-clear ice doors and pushed them open. Her bare feet slapped against the flooring- again, the floor was made of ice. Ina, panting from her sprint, looked at her feet and the ice underneath it. She peeled her eyes away finally, and gazed upwards.

"Wow . . ." She whispered. As much as she hated to admit it, her mother really was skilled. Detailed. Ina brushed her hands over the icy walls, letting her own frost coat Elsa's ice. She looked towards the staircase. This one not destroyed like the outside one was.

Hesitantly, Ina began climbing the steps. Her eyes were continuously moving, taking in every little thing about her mother's castle. As soon as Ina reached the top of the stairs, her eyes fell on another set. _Jeez_, she mentally complained. _What was with Mama and stairs_?

But, she climbed them anyway. _Maybe I could hide here_ . . . she considered. _But would they come here right away_? She didn't know- but she was kind of excited by the chase. Everyone focused on her- on what _she_ could do. She was about halfway when she suddenly heard a rumble.

Confused, Ina paused on the stairs. She leaned forward, trying to hear more. She heard another rumble, and then a loud thud- it shook the staircase, and had Ina fumbling for the handrail so she'd keep her balance.

"What?" She mumbled to herself. Carefully, she continued her ascent. As she reached the top step, she looked for which way to go. She could see a room, or what she supposed was meant to be, ahead of her. Tying her robe closed, she approached the room, one hand raised and ready to strike.

She sucked in a breath at when she saw what was in the room. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but not _that_. Standing among scattered shards on what appeared to once have been a chandelier, was a giant snowman.

It didn't appear to be a friendly snowman- like Olaf. This one had spikes protruding from its knees, elbows and shoulders. It was turned away from her, starring out at a broken balcony and more shattered ice. To be honest- she liked the shattered room far more than the prettiness of the rest of castle. It suited her better. Ina couldn't help stare at the monster- she knew she hadn't made it. And her mother made everything else so . . . she must have made that too.

Everything Elsa had made, it was always soft and safe. This, this thing standing before her- was anything but. What could she have been thinking when she made it? Ina smiled a little at the beast. She liked it. If it were here, in an ice palace her mother had never visited in the last twenty years, it must be neglected. _Kind of like me,_ Ina noted.

Ina scoffed at her own thought, and immediately regretted it. The snow-beast turned around, his spikes growing longer, to face his intruder. Ina stilled. Not from fear of the snowman, but from what she saw. Because perched on its head, was a small, shinning crown.

Elsa's crown.

_Had they seriously never gone back for it?_ _After all this time_? Ina didn't have a long time to think it over before the snowman's arm was swinging towards her.

"_Get out_!" It yelled; its voice deep and almost mechanical. Ina jumped out of the way, and threw her arm out in its direction. Ice shot from her finger tips, and froze its arm to the ground. Ina hit the ice floor hard, and slid into a corner of the room. Broken ice pieces cut into her, but she ignored them and held her arms up.

_Why am I not scared_? Ina wondered, watching the struggling snow-thing as it fought to free it's arm. _I should be terrified. But I'm not_.

A part of her knew why fear hadn't taken over yet. She was too determined- she wanted that crown. It had belonged to the Queen of Arendelle- and having it might bring her a step closer to actually being Queen. Even as she thought it, she knew it was stupid. _Get myself killed for a crown_? _How big of an idiot I must be_.

Even this didn't stop her. She wanted it- she wanted the crown, the title. She wanted Arendelle.

And she planned to get it. Ina picked up one of the ice shards, and aimed it at the snowman's head. With a steady throw, she managed to knock the crown off his head. She couldn't help letting out a loud cheer, while the snowman screamed out in anger.

"_Get out_!" He yelled again, ripping his arm out of the icy confines it had formally been trapped in. Ina acted quickly, pointing her arms and at him and letting her powers go. It slammed into him, and he stumbled backwards. The snowman let out a loud growl- or perhaps it was a scream?- and came at her again. Ina hit him again, until he lost a few feet.

Slowly, she kept repeating this process until the monster was just in front of the open balcony. Gathering up her energy, she put it all into one finally burst of ice. It slammed into the snowman, and he tried to grab at the doorway as he began falling. Ina ran, and watched as he managed never to get a grip on anything and fell.

The princess held her breath, watching as he disappeared from sight. After a while she risked walking onto the balcony. She could see that there had been a handrail, but it must have broken off. _I wonder how_, she thought. She carefully leaned over the edge, but he had already fallen too far to be seen.

She laughed. She'd done it! She'd really done it! She laughed again, and clapped her hands tightly over her mouth in order to stop it. She was sure that he'd come back- snow things like that could take a real beating before anything serious happened to them. But she'd be ready. Turning back, her braid hitting between her shoulder blades annoyingly, Ina began stalking towards the crown.

Why that thing had it, she didn't care. All that mattered was that she had it. That is was hers. Carefully, she picked up the small golden piece. It really was a fine work of jewelry, perfect for a Queen. But not for a Snow Queen.

Ina smiled, and in an odd, gleeful way, let her powers frost up the crown. She coated it in a thin layer of ice that was closer to black ice then the pretty, clear stuff her mother made. She placed it on her head, just behind her bangs.

She would rule Arendelle, but not as a Queen. She'd be the fierce Snow Queen that everyone thought her mother was. She'd become exactly what everyone had feared. If that was how she'd rule Arendelle, so be it. She wanted power- and how else to get it then _using_ her powers?

Ina laughed, as though the decision to wreak havoc over her kingdom brought her as much joy as a child getting candy. She ran her fingers through her hair, hastily undoing the braid that had formally kept it tied. She brushed her hand across her cheek bone, letting frost coat one side of her face. She ripped her robe from her shoulders and tossed it, looking at her nightdress with a look close to disgust. With a wave of her hand, dark- frozen rain fell upon it, freezing and destroying it immediately. As quickly as her old dress was gone, she created a new one out of ice.

Her dress was dark- like it had been made of black ice. Her sleeves, which came to her elbows, were translucent- and had patterns of what looked like cracking ice decorating it. She had seen paintings and portraits of her mother's "Snow Queen" dress, and created a cape mimicking it- though it was decorated with the same cracked ice designs as her sleeves.

Ina looked at her new appearance- smirking at herself. She wasn't going to be the Queen's daughter anymore- just an heir that had no chance. She was going to be Queen- even if it wasn't how she originally planned. She was going to become the Snow Queen.

If it was her only option left, Ina would take the throne by force.

With a wave of her hand, Ina created an icy blast, which she planned to send towards Arendelle. She gave it one task: "Freeze the fjord." She whispered. Then she let it go.

She didn't want anyone to leave before she could show them what she could do. She wanted them all to see what they've led her to become. She wanted them to regret ever turning her down- turning their backs on what she wanted. _They don't think I'm fit to be Queen_, She thought, smugness entering even her thoughts. _Well, let's see if this changes their minds_.

"Papa," She said aloud, as if he was standing behind her. "You said to make you proud. And that's exactly what I'm doing."

**I was watching Family channel (don't judge me… -_-) and "Let it go" came on. Naturally, I turned my volume up as loud as I could and made my mother watch it with me. Upon me telling her that Elsa had icy powers (she asked how she made the staircase and never came to see the movie with me) she proceeded to call Elsa a "cold b****" and then I died a little inside. **

**Oh- and why Marshmallow had the crown…go look at the Frozen credit scene, if you haven't yet. And about the "neglected like me" thing, I just meant in Ina's opinion she's neglected, but just 'cause she isn't getting the TYPE of attention she wants. And the ice on one side of her face thing (I wanted to describe it quickly), I kind of meant for it to look like the frost that was on Anna's face right before she turned into a human ice-cube. Oh- and I'm pretty sure Tomas wouldn't be proud if what Ina's doing- she's just so blinded she can't see that. **

**Anyway- 'Hope you like it so far. You can start sending me your contest links! I can't wait for them. Okay, Bye!**


	13. Setting out

"Okay," Anna called out, jumping down from the last step. "What now?"

Everyone was gathered in the courtyard preparing to say goodbye and figure out where to go. The snow was already thick beneath their feet, and the snow fell steadily- threatening the arrival of more. Kristoff and Anna had dressed in their winter gear, while Elsa was just wearing a regular traveling outfit. Though, the color was almost _identical_ to her ice. Anna had to touch Elsa's sleeve just to make sure it wasn't a gown she had conjured up.

Anna readjusted her hat on her head so it covered and kept her ears warm, but so she could still hear. Kristoff was digging through a bag strung over his shoulder, but glanced up at Anna so he could shrug.

"We should try and guess where Ina would go." Elsa determined, clasping her bare hands in front of her. "It will be a start, at least."

Anna nodded at her sister. Elsa was so brave. Anna knew it, Kristoff knew it, and the kids knew it. She had just lost her husband, and possibly her daughter, but she was holding it together. And really well. "Cy, did you see which direction she went?" She asked, turning to her oldest son. The kids had come outside and were listening to the plan, though they had been clearly told to stay home.

Cyril shook his head. "No. I could barely see her through the ice as she ran down the bridge, but once she got too far . . ." He shrugged. "Who _knows _where she went from there."

"No one from town saw her," Elise piped up, pulling her lavender cloak tighter around herself. "They would have told us if they had. That means she must have run off in a different direction." Elsa pursed her lips, lost in a deep thought.

"So . . . she either looped around to the back of the castle, or went around the village?" Kristoff asked, and Elise shrugged. They were stuck- should they go around town, or around the castle? Everyone glanced at each other, trying to decide where to go.

Sver, whose hands were drowning inside his own massive gloves, moved to stand in front of his parents. "I think we should wait for her to come back- whenever I try to run away, I always come home."

"You try to run away?" Cyril narrowed his eyes at his kid brother.

Anna smiled. "Yeah, but he never makes it past the kitchen. He wouldn't leave all that chocolate alone in the castle with no one to eat it." She wrapped her arm around Sver's shoulder and pulled him against her side. "Plus you'd miss us."

"No I wouldn't!" Sver argued, but he hugged his mother around the waist, cancelling out his own protests. Anna patted him on the back in a soothing manner, and Elsa smiled at them. She could feel Tom at her shoulder, his arm touching her elbow. She wanted to reach out and hug him- and for a moment, waiting for this all to go away seemed like an appealing solution.

But she knew she couldn't. She may have a son waiting for her at home, but she had a daughter alone in the wilderness. She needed to go after Ina, even if every nerve in Elsa's body pressured her to stay home, curl up in bed, and cry some more.

But she had to be strong.

"Alright," She said, bringing everyone back to the current situation. "It might get colder out here, _much_ colder, so I want you to get inside." She looked at Tom as she spoke, but it was directed to her niece and nephews as well. "So we'll say our goodbyes and then all of you will go inside and get warm."

They all looked like they wanted to protest, but gave in. Tom went to Elsa's arms first, and she hugged him tightly to her chest. He tucked his head under his chin like he was a little boy again, and held onto her, like he was afraid to let go.

"Take care of yourself." Elsa mumbled into his dark locks. He nodded.

"You too." He mumbled, his voice muffled by his ducked head. Elsa held him a moment longer, and she pictured him as a child again. Maybe he had just woken from a nightmare, or fallen off his bike. But Elsa would hug him like this until he felt better.

"I love you." Elsa told him, pulling away so she could look him in the eye. His lip curled up in the faintest of smiles.

" 'Love you too." And because he felt like he was repeating his mother too much, he added; "See you in a few days." For good measure, he tugged on Elsa's braid as if they were friends instead of parent and child. Elsa reached out and ruffled his hair before he could move away, and he chuckled lightly. Elsa smiled after him, though her arms were soon open for a hug from Sver.

"Bye, Sev." She said, pulling him tightly against her chest. He shivered, likely from the mix of the weather and Elsa's cold skin, so she pulled away. He smiled at her like he was trying to pretend he hadn't been cold, but Elsa gave him an apologetic smile anyway.

Elsa was passed to Cyril and then Elise, and she told both of them to behave. They agreed of course, and Cyril had joked telling her to do the same. It hadn't reached his eyes though, and that worried Elsa. The Queen watched as the kids finished hugging Anna and Kristoff.

When they had first become parents, Elsa felt like she was scared more than they were. Whenever they were presented with a new challenge, they took it in stride. If the baby cried, Anna would find a way to calm him down. If the baby needed a changing, well . . . honestly, Kristoff would just pass him off to Anna usually.

But when Elsa had meant her sister's first child, she had been terrified. She was scared of hurting him, which actually made her situation worse but never mind that, and hadn't been given any instruction as to, say, hold him? She had been terrified of the baby- but loved him too. It had been one of the strangest things that Elsa had ever been through, but seeing the way Anna and Kristoff looked at their children made her strange little fears feel non-existent. She saw how happy they made them; and how happy they made Elsa too. She smiled at them as they finished their goodbyes.

The kids waved one last time before they turned to go back in the castle. "So," Kristoff said, clapping his large gloved hands together. "Where should we-"

But he never got the chance to finish. A loud, strange noise sounded throughout the courtyard. It was like a combination of water crashing into shore and cracking. Elsa sucked in her breath, trying to hear more, but only the cracking sound continued. The kids had all stopped upon hearing it, turning back to look towards their parents. The noise continued, but never fell into a pattern.

"It's coming from the fjord." Anna whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Elsa's eyes flickered up to her sister, confusion and terror flashing through them. And then they were running.

Kristoff made it to the gates first; and his gasp only frightened Elsa more. _What's happening_? She wondered fearfully. _What's going on_? She didn't have very long to dwell on it. Anna and Elsa made it too the gates about the same time, and they both inhaled upon the sight as well. Elsa's hands flew up to her mouth to supress a scream.

It turns out the sound wasn't cracking at all- it was _freezing_. Gentle waves froze in place, before turning completely solid. Boats and ships were soon surrounded and frozen into place, _actually _cracking sounded as they settled into their possibly-permanent positions. Elsa could hardly process what she was seeing, but one thought rung in her mind.

_Ina had done this_.

But . . . she hadn't even touched the fjord. The reason Elsa froze it was because she had stepped on it, and it had froze immediately. It had been hours since Ina left- it wasn't possible that it would just freeze over now. How could she have done it without touching the fjord?

Elsa's stomach dropped. Ina had never had to conceal her powers. She'd always been taught to strengthen them, improve them. How control over them but never restrain them. Maybe it wasn't true, but a sudden thought burst to the front of Elsa's mind, stunning her to place.

Ina's powers were stronger than Elsa's.

She had _wanted_ to freeze the fjord. Who _knew_ how far away she was- it didn't matter. Ina had managed to freeze the fjord like she had stepped on it, while being nowhere near it. Elsa stumbled backwards, and Anna grabbed onto her arm to steady her.

"Ina's stronger than me." Elsa gasped. Her voice sounded surprised, almost defeated. She was surprised that her horror and fear didn't bleed through, as it was bubbling close to the surface. She could the kids behind her, taking in the sight of Ina's magic.

Anna gave Elsa a sympathetic look, which confused the older women. It took a moment for Elsa to realize that Anna didn't suspect her of being afraid. Anna just thought Elsa was jealous. Jealous of Ina and what she could do- the powers that she had.

"It started over there . . ." Kristoff mumbled, partly to himself, while interrupting Elsa's train of thought. She glanced at him, and the arm that he was holding up. She followed where his finger pointed to the shore farthest from the castle. That must mean it was the direction Ina had come from.

"That's where she is." Elsa said, her voice determined again. She needed to find Ina, for her daughter's sake. "We have to go that way."

Elsa could see Anna nod from the corner of her eye. The younger women turned and looked at the kids, before pointing them in the direction of the castle. Elsa heard them as their footsteps moved farther away, but didn't turn to look back. Instead she looked forward, towards wherever Ina was hiding. She needed to help her; Ina needed her help, and Elsa needed Ina.

"Well," Kristoff cleared his throat, trying to lighten the ever heavy situation. "Let's get going, shall we?"

And so they set out towards the fjord, and towards Ina.

* * *

><p>The young Snow Queen smiled, twirling a silver curl around her finger. She wondered if the icy blast she had sent had arrived yet, and if the fjord had frozen over yet. She hoped it did, she wanted her mother to see how strong she had gotten.<p>

Ina's black eyes moved upwards, to where the ceiling was clear and perfect. She could see where the chandelier once hung, though didn't care much for it. Instead she looked up at the sky, and the clouds that blocked it.

"When will I have made you proud?" Ina asked, again speaking to her father that wasn't there. "When this is all over? When Arendelle is put in my name?" She waited for a response, though she didn't expect to get once. She lightly touched the crown the sat atop her head, and she smiled. It was like a friendly reminder of what she was fighting more.

Ina dropped her hand, and gazed around the icy walls. Despite the shattered room, which she spent an awful lot of time in, she didn't care for much of the castle design. It looked too much like her mother's handiwork, though all Ina wanted was for this to become _hers_.

So with hardly time to make up her mind, Ina lifted and slammed down her bare foot, her dark magic spreading away from her at an alarming rate. The ice became darker, like it's former beauty was being washed away to something Ina preferred. Dark, cracking lines appeared and spread through the halls and down the stairs, giving the false appearance like everything would shatter if you blew on it. Ina's magic crawled up the walls, and ice spikes protruded out in random directions and in random spots.

Finally, Ina gazed upwards again. Despite the clear ceiling, she felt like she was blocked. She pointed her hand upwards, and with a single blast of magic, destroyed the ceiling. The fractured pieces fell down like rain, and the snow-like pieces got caught in the Snow Queen's hair. Ha, fitting. The sky was completely free to her now, set out before her, and Ina grinned at it.

**Hey! So, about the contest- I extended the deadline from the 21****st**** to the 25****th****. Maybe I'll extend it even longer, who knows. But please keep sending me entries, or just tell you're going to, whatever. **

**I hope you've liked the story so far- I feel like it's taken a long time to get everything going. But yay, finally we're on the track of the main storyline- woohoo! **

**Ok, Fav, Follow, leave a review- join the contest! I'll hopefully post again soon, bye for now! **


	14. Going After

It had only been an hour, maybe an hour-and-half, since they left the castle. And yet, Queen Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff were already arguing. Anna groaned and complained whenever she got a snow-booter, and Kristoff would "kindly" remind her that she could turn back whenever she wanted. Elsa would back this up, twice saying that it'd be much easier if she did, but the younger women refused.

"What is with all you ice-power-people and running away after causing a winter that is really difficult to move through?" Anna mumbled to Elsa, after once again falling over in the snow.

"Never thought you'd say that, huh?" Kristoff offered up, pulling on his bag that had gotten snagged on a branch.

Elsa sighed and shook her head. "If I knew, I'd tell you."

"Yeah well," Anna freed herself from the snow, and stepped into one of Kristoff's footprints. "When you find out, feel free to tell me."

Elsa pushed her braid off her shoulder, and rubbed at her forehead. To add to everything that was going on, the Queen had a massive headache. She would have killed for a warm mug of cocoa, or maybe tea. And to sit with her kids and niece and nephews in front of the fireplace, joking about this whole adventure . . . but no. She was stuck in a storm that her daughter had created while her temples pulsed to some inaudible drum beat in her brain.

The three fell into silence after a while; no topics of conversation seemed appealing enough to bring up at that moment. No one would dare say it, but everyone couldn't help thinking; why did Ina do it? Obviously it wasn't a complete accident- perhaps she wanted attention, maybe? Or maybe all her pent up anger and frustration had caused it, and it _was_ an accident . . .

Elsa looked over her shoulder, back towards Arendelle. She couldn't see it through the trees of the dense forest, but she could sense that home was in that direction. She wished none of this had happened, that she could just return home and curl into bed. Only the fact that she knew she'd return home with Ina if she kept going made her feet move away from Arendelle.

"I wonder if the guards are upset we decided against bringing them." Kristoff said after a second, trying to see if he could get a conversation going.

Elsa smiled weakly. "Probably not. They're probably excited to be able to stay with their families instead of brave the storm." She glanced at Anna. She wished _she_ would have stayed home.

Kristoff nodded again. Thus, the end of another conversation.

"Ack!" Anna cried out, as she once again toppled over in the snow. Elsa and Kristoff looked over at her. Despite being a full grown women with children and responsibilities, Anna always ended up looking like a child one way or another. And as she sat in the snow, her braids tossed around and a surprised yet annoyed look on her face with her hands stuffed into gloves that were far too large on her, she looked like a little girl once again.

Elsa shook her head at her sister, and reached her hands out to help her up. Anna tightly grasped Elsa, and the older women helped pull her back into a standing position. "Be careful." The Queen chiselled, placing her own hands back on her hips as Anna began trudging forward again.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Anna waved her hand in the air as if waving away Elsa's concerns, and then held her hand out towards Kristoff. Their gloved hands clasped together as Kristoff helped his wife over a large snowdrift, while Elsa watched.

She had been happy when they got engaged, of course, and she was glad how happy they had stayed. But yet . . . Elsa's eyes slipped down to her feet as she began following the couple, her arms constricting around her torso without much notice. She missed it. She missed Tomas, and she hated that she couldn't be upset about him. Not right now. She had to be brave, be calm, and strong; at least until they found Ina. Then she could properly mourn.

"So, where do you think Olaf is?" Anna chirped up a moment later, breaking Elsa from her thoughts. Anna and Kristoff were both looking over their shoulders at her, their hands still tightly within the others'. Elsa straightened her spine and dropped her arms.

"I'm not sure. It will take too long if we stop to look for him so," The Queen smiled weakly at her bright-haired sister. "I think we should probably keep going. If we run into him, great. If not, at least we'll find Ina."

Anna nodded, trying to look excited, but Elsa could see her worry. It was mirroring her own.

The three of them continued onwards; towards Ina. No would voice their fears, so they all supressed them. Anna did reach out to hold Elsa's hand once, giving it a tight comforting squeeze. It almost made the older women feel better. Almost.

* * *

><p>Elise tied the end of one of her brown braids off with a ribbon, the mittens on her hands making this a difficult task. She straightened her dress, a pretty purple winter garment her aunt had made for her, And took a deep breath before glancing around the corner.<p>

She knew what she was doing was stupid. The minute the plan had formed in her mind, she knew it was a stupid plan. Why would she do this? Why _should _she do this? She could get killed- or worse; her parents could find out about what she was doing. The girl shuddered at the thought.

Still, she couldn't help feeling like what she was doing was right. She had made a deal with Ina to help her become Queen. Yeah, maybe that was a mistake, but Elise still thought she had done the right thing by agreeing. But she'd admit, telling her about Tomas had been plain idiotic. How could she think delivering such bad news would ever turn out well? It was her fault Ina had run off- maybe if she had been told by Elsa, she wouldn't have reacted that way. Maybe she wouldn't have frozen everything.

Basically, Elise saw it as her fault. So she wanted to fix it. She wanted to apologize to Ina, in person, and convince her to come home.

Biting her lip, the princess whipped her head to either side, trying to see if anyone was coming. Pleased with what she saw, Elise lugged her bag over her shoulder and started running across the foyer towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Elise sucked in a breath, and immediately froze. She couldn't help the un-ladylike word that slipped from her lips as she turned to face her brother.

Cyril stood on the stairs, leaning against the handrail. He was fully dressed in his winter gear as well- it was so worn, it looked like a townsperson's outfit instead of a prince's. His arms were crossed over his chest, and a frown was plastered on his face. Elise couldn't help wince looking at him. _So much for my plan . . ._

"Oh . . . hey, Cy." She said, trying to sound casual. Elise let the bag slip off her arm to the floor, and stepped in front of it. "Um . . . I was just going outside to see if anyone had any news about Ina."

"You already know people have been instructed to come here if they have any news. And if they did, they would have already told us." The young man muttered. Elise noted that in the last few days, Cyril had been very un-Cyril like. He had been grumpy and angry and, well, nothing like normal.

"Yeah, well . . ." Elise straightened her spine, trying to make herself look bigger. "Maybe, uh, people don't want to come to the castle?"

"Why wouldn't they want to do that?"

"It's a pretty threatening castle."

Cyril rubbed his forehead with his hand and closed his eyes. "Elle, where were you really going?"

The girl's shoulders slumped. She couldn't have lied to him even if she had been a convincing liar. She peeled her eyes away from the floor up to her brother. "I was going to go after Ina."

There. She said it. It sounded even stupider out loud.

Cyril scoffed and shook his head, turning her attention to the ceiling, probably so he wouldn't have to look at his embarrassment-chased-their-cousin-away-with-the-truth sister.

"Elise, you're kidding."

She winced. That was almost the same thing Ina said, just before she ran.

"I'm not."

Cyril paused for a second starring at her. "You can't be serious. You've got to be kidding."

"I'm not." She repeated, her voice as small as a child's.

Cyril stopped again, and blinked. Elise wanted to look at him, to stare him down so he'd let her go, but at the same time she was scared of him. He was a big guy, and looked as threatening as Elise had described the castle. Usually, his humor and smile would make him seem approachable, but lately . . . no.

"Elle, you're brain cells must be dying at an alarming rate, because you keep doing stupider, and stupider things." Cyril smirked weakly, but as I said, it was weak. His anger at her must have died away already. It'd come back, Elise knew. It always did.

She frowned at the insult and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm going, and you can't stop me."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his curls. "Elle, you can't go. You know everyone will freak out if they come home and you're gone. And you _are _wrong- I can stop you. And I will, if you try and leave."

Elise tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Cy, you said it yourself; it's my fault, and I want to make this right. I have to go."

"No you don't." He retorted, protectiveness entering his voice. Elise smiled at him.

"I do." She picked her bag up again, as if to demonstrate her point. Cyril sucked in a breath, as if the innocent movement was instead a giant leap in the direction of the door.

An idea struck the young girl, and her smile brightened. "Come with me." She said, stepping towards her brother.

He blinked.

"What?"

"Come with me." Elise repeated, nodding her head in the direction of the door. "You won't let me go alone, and you know the mountains as well as Papa does. C'mon Cy, it'll be great."

He was shaking his head the same time she was nodding hers. The princess could picture it. Cyril might still be a little upset with her, but maybe during the traveling they'd be able to smooth everything over. She'd be able to convince Ina to come home- maybe by reminding her that she promised to help her become Queen- and Cyril would see that Elise was right about Ina. Then they'd all go home again, and things would be just like they were, only better.

Cyril could picture it just as vividly as his sister, only in a much different way. He imagined Elise running away from him to go off on her own the first chance she got, and he wouldn't be able to stop her. Maybe she'd trip and fall off a cliff, or get lost. Even if they made it to Ina, what would happen then? Cyril pictured Ina, cold and changed, freezing Elise's heart the same way Elsa had once frozen his mother's. Conflictingly, he could also see Ina taking Elise in her arms, and his baby sister staying with her like some weird, evil side-kick.

He didn't want that to happen. Not at all.

"You're staying here." He said, his voice firm. The younger girl opened her mouth to protest, but closed it as Cyril took a few steps back up the stairs, and Elise was surprised to see his own bag, hat, and mitts lying there. What the . . .

Of course, it clicked together in her mind like puzzle pieces. Cyril was going after them himself.

She almost laughed. Seriously? He was doing the same thing he refused to let her do?

"I'm going after them. You're staying here to take care of Sver." Cyril demanded, his voice firm. He pointed a finger at Elise as he spoke, before pulling his mitts over his hands. He stepped down the stairs, and then past Elise.

"But-" She was confused. "Tom can take care of Sver. Cy, please, I don't-" She grabbed her own bag, and hurried to follow after him. How long had he been planning to go after them? They must have come up with the idea around the same time. Cyril turned on his heel and grabbed his sister's elbows.

"Hey," His voice was firm. "Elle. You're my sister, and I love you. I need you to stay here. _Please_. We all do." He said each word slowly, like he was talking to a child. "I'm still mad at you, but maybe I'll be able to forgive you if you stay here. Sver -even Tom- needs you. All of Arendelle needs you. So, for once, listen to me and _stay here_."

She was both insulted and flattered at the same time. But it didn't make her want to go any less. "Cy-"

"What's going on?" Tom's voice cut through the air, and both siblings turned to look at their dark-haired cousin. Tom was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Sver in tow, a confused look on both of their faces. Elise opened her mouth to answer, but Cyril beat her to it.

"I'm leaving." He said, leaning around Elise (who's elbows were still in his hands) so he could look his cousin in the eye. He then planted a kiss of Elise's forehead, and waved at the two younger boys on the stairs.

"What-"

"Ellie will explain. I'll see you in a few days!" Cyril called, and he was already moving towards the door. Elise was stunned and confused. What . . . just . . . happened? She couldn't process it, all she could process was the sound of the large door opening and the whoosh of cold air that entered as it did.

"Elise? What's he talking about? Where's he going?" Tom asked, stealing the girl's focus once again. She looked back at him. He was only a few months younger than her, a little more than a half a year. It took her a second to realize that she was now the oldest royal family member present in the castle.

"He's going after Ina." The princess's voice was small. A child's voice. She hated it. She wasn't a child anymore, and no way was she going to be treated like one anymore.

Her eyes, which had fallen to the floor, flicked back up to the boys. She felt confident for a moment, and it surprised her. "And I am too. We'll be back soon."

She raised her hand in a weak wave, before turning and bolting towards the kitchen. No, not to the kitchen. To the servant's entrance. Maybe it was stupid, or reckless, or whatever it was. But it was a plan, and maybe it would make her less of a child. Maybe someone would see her as the adult she was becoming.

Tom and Sver, both utterly confused, glanced at each other. So . . . Ina had run off, and then their parents had gone after her, and then Cyril had gone after them, and not Elise was going after him? Wow.

Both of them were thinking it, but it was Sver who spoke up. "We're going after them, aren't we?"

Tom nodded his head once. "Duh."

"…**brain cells dying at an alarming rate" would cells have even been discovered by then…?**

**Well, hey. *clears throat* it's been a while. (A WHOLE WEEK! That's the longest I've gone without posting, I think.)**

**Due to time (and computer issues), I'm going to extend the contest deadline to the end of February. Knowing me, I'll probably push the date back even further. Oh well . . . But I NEED MORE ENTRIES! JUST SEND ME A LINK TO YOUR CHRISTMAS-THEMED FROZEN FIC ENTRY MADE FOR THE CONTEST TO BECOME APART OF THE CONTEST!**


	15. All over the Place

"Princess? Where are you going?"

"I just saw your brother as I was coming inside; are you going with him?"

"Is Ina home yet?"

"Where on earth could you be going in this weather?"

"Has your family located Princess Ina yet?"

"Princess! Go inside, you'll freeze out here!"

"Oh, Princess Elise, Prince Cyril went that way."

"Princess Elise- will Princess Ina really thaw the winter like Queen Elsa did?"

"My, my- where is everyone off to?"

These were only a few comments that people said to Princess Elise as she snuck out of the castle. She loved the servants, of course she did- they were like her own extended family, but sometimes . . . sometimes they were a little much.

Especially when you were trying to sneak out and they were drowning you in questions.

She threw out excuses, answers, though she barely listened to the comments. She was too busy to stop and talk, and one day they'd know why. Just right now, she didn't have time to stop and explain.

Elise finally managed to get past everyone, most of who were huddled around the woodstove, and out of the servant's entrance. Elise let out a puff of air which she could see in front of her face. She watched her breath for a moment, wishing she'd calm down.

She could feel her heart beating a hundred miles a minute- pulsing so painfully hard it was like it wanted to break from her chest. She wanted to help find Ina, but now that she had a second to think everything through . . . she was kind of scared.

_But this is my fault_, she reminded. _If you had just kept your mouth shut until Aunt Elsa could have told her, she wouldn't have run. It's your fault, so suck it up and go find her_.

Elise readjusted the bag on her shoulder, and then started running towards the back gates. They weren't very far away, but she was slowed down after slipping on ice a few times. She huffed, picked herself back up, and continued forward.

As soon as she passed through the gates, Elise took off alongside them. She kept one hand on the stone wall as she ran, heading for the front of the castle. The courtyard was large, and the property the castle was situated on was even larger. By the time Elise made it to the front bridge, she was panting. It was almost embarrassing- she_ loved _running, yet here she was.

Of course, the snow, heavy clothing, and uncomfortable boots kind of slowed her down.

It wasn't difficult to find Cyril- he was the only other person outside. He was already far away, maybe halfway across the fjord heading towards the nearby shore, and Elise couldn't make out any specific details on him. But she knew it was him. Who else would be running across a frozen fjord in a situation like this?

Sucking in a calming breath through her nose, Elise let her eyes slip closed. She was scared, yes, but she knew she had to do this. A part of her still wanted Ina's respect. Another part of her- a large part of her- wanted Cyril to forgive her for everything that had happened. Another large part of her wanted to do something that would get her out of trouble with her parents.

Convincing Ina to come back just might fix all of those things.

So, mustering up whatever idiocy that led her to do everything else, Elise took off towards the fjord, and towards the shape of her brother, whom was still unaware she was following him.

_I really hope I'm doing the right thing_, Elise worried.

* * *

><p>Cyril's boots hit the ice silently as he ran, and his breath puffed out of him in a steady stream. As he ran, his bag hit his thigh repeatedly, and fell into a pattern. The strap of the bag dug uncomfortably into his chest, but the feeling was muted through the think material of his vest.<p>

Honestly, Cyril wasn't that fond of Ina. She had always taunted him, and often rubbed in the fact that she had taken _his _heir ship (though, in reality, she had just moved him farther down the royal line), but he always figured it was because she was bitter about her own heir ship being taken from her. Until Elise, and later Tom, were old enough to play with them: Cyril had been alone with only Ina as a playmate. And she was never fair.

Cyril shook his head to clear his thoughts. Sure, Ina might not be his favorite person, but everyone needed her to stop the winter. And she was sixteen- how much damage could she really do? The winter was probably just her emotions running too high, she _had_ just lost her father after all . . .

The ground beneath Cyril's feet changed suddenly, and he realized that the fjord had stopped, and he was entering the wilderness. He had been in the woods many times, sure, but something was different this time. He was breaking rules; he was purposely putting himself in danger.

He felt the urge to turn around and go home, to be the good son that Anna and Kristoff raised him to be. To sit at home with his brother, sister and cousin and wait until everyone got home and things got back to normal.

But he couldn't. He knew that he couldn't just sit by while all this happened. He wasn't sure if he was acting determined or stubborn by disobeying his parents, but decided not to dwell on it. He was a grown man after all, he could go into the woods as he pleased.

Cyril took a deep breath, and held it for a second. Was he wrong to tell Elise to stay home? He was mad at her, but making her mad at him wasn't exactly going to help his case. But then again, she could get hurt if she came.

"She'll get over it." He said aloud.

And she would. He knew she would. She had to. She'd forgive him, and maybe he'd forgive her too.

Cyril looked upwards, at the slopping mountains in the distance and the trees that blocked his view. His family was in here somewhere, and so was Ina. He really hoped he found the latter before his parents found out he was in the woods looking at all.

Cyril took his first step to what would either become the greatest adventure of his life, or the biggest mistake he'd ever make.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so why <em>didn't<em> we bring horses?" Anna complained again, her hands held out to either side of her so she wouldn't lose her balance and fall again. Elsa and Kristoff both looked at her, the earlier of the two raising his eyebrow.

"Actually, it was you who suggested we didn't." Kristoff reminded.

"You guys should know better than to listen to me by now." Anna retorted, hardly missing a beat. Kristoff rolled his eyes, but held out his hand for his wife to take. Anna did, and rested her other hand on his shoulder, to help her with her balance ever more so.

Elsa continued to shuffle through the snow behind them, not doing much to offer up any conversation pieces. Anna had tried talking to her a few times, but she could sense Elsa was mentally shutting her out. It kind of hurt, but she tried not to dwell on it. Elsa was going through a lot right now, and it she needed a bit of space, Anna would give it to her. No matter how much she didn't want to.

"It's getting dark." Kristoff noted, his head turned upwards towards the sky. His tone was filled with concern.

Anna followed his eyes to the sky, where it had in fact begun darkening. "Yeah . . ." She mumbled. She was tired of walking, and tired period. She wanted to rest. She looked back at Elsa, whom was still lost in thought. "Elsa, what do you think?" She asked.

Elsa's eyes flickered to Anna's for a second, and she tried to hide her confusion. She hadn't been paying attention. "What about?"

"Do you think we should stop for the night?" Kristoff asked, half turned to face his sister-in-law. Elsa's eyes drifted to the sky, and she blinked in surprise. She hadn't been paying attention to the weather either.

Elsa nodded her head, and gestured toward the treeline. "It is getting late, yes. I think we should rest. Just for a few hours."

Anna could've cheered.

So, the three of them parked themselves just within the treeline. Elsa create a type of ice wall to block the wind, and when Anna wasn't looking, a row of low spikes around the perimeter of their camp so no predators would near them. They each gave each other a job- Kristoff was to go get food, Anna was to build a fire (no one was thrilled that she was given that job), and Elsa was to clear the snow.

Because she couldn't actually make Ina's snow disappear, Elsa had to use wind and push the snow into a drift. Anna cheered her on, though Elsa didn't need any encouragement. But she was drowning in her own thoughts, and Anna's down-to-earth perkiness was like a burst of air that promised to save her.

She really needed air right now.

"Anna," Elsa started after a moment. She was sitting as far away from the soon-to-be fire as possible, not wanting to threaten putting it out. The younger woman glanced up at the mention her name.

"Yeah, Elsa?" She placed another twig she had gathered onto her growing pile.

The Queen took a deep breath, and leaned her back against a tree. The snow was probably soaking her skirts, but the cold couldn't touch Elsa, so she didn't mind. "Anna," She said again. "I'm . . . I'm not, I don't know, I'm not myself anymore. I don't feel like the same person I was a few days ago."

Anna blinked. Elsa continued speaking, trying to stop her emotions from bleeding into her voice. "I was a wife, and a mother two days ago. I was . . . I was happy." Elsa shrugged, and a smile crossed her face. "I had a husband, who I love- and . . . and kids who I'd die for, and a kingdom that I could actually rule."

Elsa could feel tears stinging the backs of her eyes. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to show her emotions, because if she did, it would be reflected in the weather. And she couldn't stand anymore snow right now. But she had to continue speaking.

"But now . . . now I'm a widow. I'm a widow, Anna. And . . . and I don't even know w-where one of my kids are. She could be dead, or-or dying. And I have no way o-of knowing. And Tom-" Elsa hiccupped. "I don't e-even kn-know what he thinks of all this. And- Arendelle is- it's in . . . it's not okay." Elsa could feel the wind begin to swirl around her, and pick up stray strands of hair and play with them.

She didn't want to be strong, but she needed to hold it together. What she really needed to do was conceal her feelings- or better yet, don't feel them at all. That's right; conceal, don't feel.

She closed her eyes, and curled her hands into fists. She needed to calm down. An internal storm was the last thing she wanted, next to an actual storm. Conceal. Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal.

"Conceal . . . conceal . . . conceal . . ." Elsa was hardly aware that she began repeating her chant aloud. She could feel the wind calming as she did. She needed to stay calm. Calm.

Anna, meanwhile, starred at Elsa in shock. She had heard of the "conceal, don't feel" from when Elsa was young and her powers had been viewed as a curse. But she had never heard Elsa say them, and definitely not recently. Anna could see Elsa a way she never had: broken- on the verge of tears and mumbling words she had been told when she was a child.

"Elsa?" Anna asked, her voice as small as a child's. Elsa didn't react to her voice, but she did stop repeating herself. Hesitantly, Anna pulled off one of her gloves. She reached out slowly, wanting desperately to comfort Elsa somehow. Her fingers had barely made contact with Elsa's knee before the older woman tensed up.

"Don't touch me." Elsa whispered, voice as small as a mouse's squeak. Her eyes were still closed. Her face was twisted into a look that Anna could only describe and terror.

Elsa's eyes suddenly flew open, as if she just realized what she had said. It wasn't what she had meant- it had been instinct, she didn't want Anna to touch her when she was so vulnerable. Vulnerable and dangerous. Anna had already pulled her hand away, her face emotionless. Neither of them knew what to say, what to think.

So they said nothing. They sat in a stone cold silence. Elsa was horrified with herself, and Anna . . . Anna didn't even know what to feel about herself. Soon after, Anna started her fire and Kristoff returned with a rabbit he managed to catch.

Both women went to bed, though neither slept. Kristoff agreed to be lookout, though either woman would have been capable of doing it. Anna sat as close to the fire as she could get without burning herself, while Elsa was basically buried in a snowbank.

_What did I just do_? Both women wondered, both for very different reasons.

"**into the woods it's time to go, it may be all in vain, I know. Into the woods but even so I must begin the journey . . ." haha. Get it, cause everyone's going into the woods? *crickets* **

**CcoOonNntTteEesSstTt….entries…psst…I need contest entries…**

**And I called this "all over the place" because that's where this chapter was at. **


	16. Tired

When Elsa woke up, she was stiff and aching. She was lying on her stomach, almost half buried in the snow, with her arms tucked underneath her. She couldn't remember falling asleep, but she remembered her and Anna's "conversation" the evening before.

The Queen rolled over, groaning, and looked around. She had to blink to adjust to the early morning light. Anna and Kristoff were both sleeping; Anna curled into his side while his arm was strung over her. The fire between Elsa and the couple had dwindled down to ash and smoke, which she could smell on her own clothes and hair.

Elsa pushed herself into a sitting position, and rubbed at her head. She could feel her temple pulsing from a headache. She felt angry- mostly at herself. She was mad about the way she had reacted. It had been her own fault; she didn't _have_ to start talking about her problems. But she did, and now . . . well, now she had made everything with Anna tense again.

Absentmindedly, Elsa began undoing her messy braid. The feeling of her fingers weaving through her hair was comfortingly familiar. As soon as her hair was free, she trapped it in her grasp once more, only to begin re-braiding it.

Elsa wondered if she should wake the others up, or let them sleep.

The longer they slept, the longer Elsa could put off talking to Anna about what she'd said last night. She'd been stressed out, and upset and . . . she just directed it at Anna. It wasn't Anna's fault any of this happened, and the last thing Elsa wanted was Anna thinking she hated her. Or _Anna_ actually hating her.

Honestly, is Elsa had taken Anna's advice and stayed home instead of traveling to Leighton, none of this would had happened.

_It's my own fault all this happened_, Elsa mentally admitted.

Elsa didn't have to worry about waking the couple up for long, because Anna stirred and rolled over only moments later. She stretched, and yawned, but stayed on the ground. Elsa watched her, scared to say anything. She was afraid she'd say the wrong thing.

Anna laid there for another few moments, before she seemed to realize where she was. Her breath hitched, and she stilled in the middle of rolling over. She took her time in sitting up; she stretched again, and rubbed at her eyes.

Finally, Anna brought her eyes down to Elsa's. Blue on blue. Despite her gaze holding no anger, or hatred, Elsa squirmed uncomfortably. She had no clue what to say. What could you say, when you literally told your sister all your personally problems and moved on to unconsciously tell her not to touch you?

Well, she must have come up with something, because Elsa's mouth opened almost without her consent and she began speaking.

"Anna, about last night . . ." She dropped her eyes from her younger sister's. She felt ashamed, yes, and embarrassed. She had been weak, and she didn't want Anna seeing her as broken as she had been last night ever again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

To make herself clear, Elsa crawled a few feet towards Anna and grabbed her sister's gloved hand. Anna stared at their hands for a moment, unmoving, and Elsa was afraid for a second. Maybe she didn't forgive her?

Anna than tightened her hand in Elsa's, returning the gesture. Elsa sighed in relief.

"Elsa, you don't have to apologize." Anna mumbled; her voice still thick from sleep. "We've all been really stressed out the last few days. I think it might have been a good think you let your feelings out a little."

Anna pulled her hand out of Elsa's for a moment, leading to the older woman to fear that her sister was actually angry, but Anna just reached up to readjust her cloak. Then she slid her hands back into Elsa's. Anna bit her lip, and her eyes fell to her lap. Concern was written all over her face. The Queen's feelings quickly shifted to mirror them. Whatever concerned her sister automatically concerned her.

"Anna, I never wanted to shut you out." She said lightly. Despite obviously meaning the thirteen years Elsa had shut Anna out, she also meant last night- the temporary slip that forced Elsa back into her isolated shell.

Anna sighed, and looked back up at her older sister. "That's not it. I've forgiven you for that. It wasn't your fault anyway." Anna glanced at Kristoff, whom was still soundly sleeping. He was far more accustomed to sleeping outdoors than the women were. Anna turned back to Elsa and continued speaking. "Even though you don't need to apologize, I forgive you for last night. It's just the stress I guess. It's starting to get to me- to _everyone_. I'm really looking forward to everything calming down and going back to normal."

Elsa nodded. Despite feeling like she was still threading on a thin line with Anna, she didn't feel as if she'd lose her. They were both stressed to the max, and knowing that was almost a relief. It was always nice to know you weren't the only one freaking out about a certain situation. It's always easier to fear something when someone else fears it too.

After a moment of silence, not awkward or angry, Anna looked at her husband again. "I guess we should head out, huh?"

Elsa nodded, and began standing. Anna leaned back over to Kristoff, and started tapping him on the cheek. He stirred awake, and sucked in a breath. "What?" He mumbled, rolling over to look at the source of his awakening.

"C'mon sleepy head, we're leaving." Anna said, playfulness entering her tone. Elsa couldn't help thinking it was forced. Maybe for Kristoff's sake- he seemed the least stressed of the three, and Anna seemed to want to keep it that way. He groaned, but started stretching and standing up.

Elsa turned away from the couple, and up to the direction they were heading. All she was sure of was that it would lead them to Ina. Elsa could see the trees thinning up ahead, and couldn't help thinking that the path looked strangely familiar . . .

* * *

><p>Cyril had walked most of the night, and Elise struggled to keep up to him. She had followed quite a ways behind him, and just inside the treeline, so he wouldn't see her. She feared that she'd lose him when it got dark, but he lit a torch he had brought so he could find his way. Elise followed the burning orange flame as the sun sunk in the sky and darkness overtook the woods.<p>

Elise's legs were itching to run. It was the one athletic thing she preferred over her safe indoor activities. She loved it. She loved running barefoot in summer through paths in the meadows, and racing her brothers. Elise loved the sound of wind rushing past her eyes, shutting out every other sound in the world. She loved the feeling of the breeze through her hair and the sweat on her skin when she ran too long. She was fast too. As fast as Cyril even, and that was a pretty big deal considering how long his legs are.

But she restrained herself. She knew that if she ran, she'd make sound. She'd be noticeable. And that's not what she needed right now. She needed to stay hidden, and stay far enough from Cyril that being found wouldn't be a problem.

As darkness began to drown her, exhaustion fell over the young girl. She wanted to sleep, desperately, but Cyril was stubborn, and didn't dare stopping if it'd make him lose time. So he treaded for quite a long time, until the sky started lightening with the approaching sun. His own exhaustion must have won out at that point, because he stopped at a rock formation and built a quick fire at the base of it.

He fell asleep quickly, and that's when Elise moved over to him. There was no way she was going to sleep by herself out here. She refused to do something as stupid and reckless as this and then die for a different reason, like getting eaten by a wolf.

So, carefully, Elise waited until Cyril was surely sleeping. She was almost surprised he'd go to sleep in such an out-in-the-open place. Sure, the rock blocked the wind, but _anyone _could see them from here. She decided not to dwell on it, and slowly made her way over to Cyril's fire. She curled up as close to it as she dared.

She prayed that she'd wake up before Cyril did. She could have tried to toughen through it, to stay awake and stay hidden until Cyril woke up, and then continue following him. She should have done it, but she didn't. She was scared. And tired. So, _so _tried. And cold. Very cold.

_Wow, I really am an idiot_, Elise realised. _Well, at least I can blame all this on stupidity_.

So, mentally adding it to the stupid idea pile, Elise made a pillow out of snow on the opposite side of the fire as her brother, and allowed herself to fall into a nice dream, where she ran barefooted through the courtyard on a warm summer day.

* * *

><p>"I'm <em>tired<em>." Sver complained, dragging the bag he had insisted on bringing behind him.

Tom and Sver had left a while after Cyril and Elise. There was _no way_ those boys were missing out on this adventure, especially considering the rest of their family was out there. They had packed up, dressed in their winter gear, and set off; Tom had left a note telling Kai that he was in charge until they got back.

What a surprise he'd be in for.

"I know, Sev." Tom mumbled. He was tired too, and it had gotten awfully dark. He had lit a branch on fire to guide them, but it burnt up too fast, and he had to keep finding new ones. It was a real pain trying to find a troublesome sibling, wasn't it?

"What're we gonna' do if we find Ina before them?" Sver asked, trying to brighten the situation. The expedition had been fun at first, but as they went on, the excitement had dwindled down to nothing.

Tom blinked. He hadn't thought this plan through that far. "I . . . don't know." He rubbed at the back of his neck, partly lifting his hat off his head to do so. "What do you say to someone who wants to be heir to a kingdom that _I'm_ heir to and then created a winter just like her mom and froze a fjord for reasons we don't know?"

"Ina did all that?" Sver asked, his seven-year-old voice sounding impressed. Tom nodded.

Sver laughed a little. "She's a stinker."

Tom laughed too, at how innocent the name was compared to the situation. He loved his innocent cousin. He had no idea what was going on, but wanted to be a part of everything anyway. It was great. Tom saw Sver more as a brother than as a cousin, and wanted to look out for him. Funny how he had a better relationship with his much younger cousin than his stinker sister, huh?

"Yeah, yeah she is." He said after a second.

After a few more minutes of walking, the branch they were using as a torch burnt out again, and Tom dropped it before the fire could reach his hand. Plunged into darkness once again, Tom's hand automatically slid into Sver's.

Stumbling around in the dark night, trying to find a new branch, Tom hardly noticed the figure that appeared until it was right in front of them.

He almost screamed as one moment: nothing, and the next: something. And then the shock and fear of the situation led him to actually scream.

Sver laughed, and it then mixed in with the figure's laughter. Familiar laughter.

"Hi guys!" Olaf cheered, opening his twig arms for a hug from Sver, who quickly went to them.

"Olaf!" Sver laughed, wrapping his skinny arms around the cold snowman. Tom could just make out the snowman's shape in the darkness, but had been so surprised he almost wet himself.

How humiliating.

"Olaf, what are you doing here?" Tom questioned, as soon as he managed to calm his heart rate. Scared by a snowman, how pathetic.

"Oh," Olaf looked up at him, his carrot nose (having been replaced many times) pointed at him as the snowy face looked up at the older boy. "You didn't know? Ina ran off."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we know."

"I'm looking for her." Olaf added, sounding proud. One of his twig hands was clasped in Sver's mittens. Tom smiled at the two.

"Get in line." He mumbled as the snowman and little boy turned to continue walking, and soon fell in step behind them.

'**Kind of a rushed chapter, whatever. All the kids seem to be doing stupid stuff right now, but it'll seem less stupid once something happens later on. **

**Okay, I'll post again soon (maybe the weekend?), but bye for now!**


	17. Meet Up

When Elise woke up, she shivered and curled in on herself. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was, what she had done. It took her a few seconds before it all sunk in again, and she stiffened.

The princess's eyes flew open, and she almost regretted it. Because, with one glance, she realized that she_ hadn't_ woken up before her brother.

Cyril stood over her, his shadow protecting Elise's eyes from the sun. His arms were crossed over his chest, and though his face was partly hidden by his messy-sleep hair, a menacing look took over his features.

"Hey, Cy." She said, trying to sound as casual as she could manage. Of course, because sleep had thickened her voice and fear made it as high as a chipmunk's, she didn't sound as casual as she would have wanted and instead sounded like a frightened child. _Great_.

"What are you doing here?" Cyril hissed, starring down at his sister like a mighty god might stare at a tiny bug they planned to squish. His blue eyes blazed with anger, and Elise badly wanted to crawl under a rock until he was done yelling at her. All of this because she had gotten tired? Wow, Elise really wished she had continued on instead of fallen asleep.

Elise decided that she couldn't lie anymore- mostly because she couldn't think of one. She sighed. "I followed you. I want to help find Ina."

Cyril groaned, and turned partly away from her. "Elle . . ." He let his face fall into his gloved hands. "You can't come. It's too dangerous. Just go home."

Elise scrambled to her feet and winced as the sunlight pierced her eyes. She tried to ignore it, and stepped towards her brother. "C'mon Cy, _please_? I can't very much go home _now_. And especially not _alone_." She readjusted her cloak, which had been knocked on a weird angle as she slept, and looked back at the prince. "I can help, I can convince her to come home. You said it yourself; it's my fault she left in the first place."

"What'll make you go home?" Cyril asked as he grabbed her shoulders. "Do you want me to tell you it's not your fault? Fine, I take I back. It's not your fault. Now go home."

Elise opened her mouth to argue, but Cyril cut her off. "It's too dangerous. You have to go back to Arendelle, where you'll be safe."

Elise shrunk a little under his gaze, and kicked herself for doing it. She hated being scared of her brother whenever he was angry. She never used to be. She hated seeing him as an authority figure instead of a brother. _She just hated it_.

"Ina's a teenager, Cyril. She's not dangerous- she wouldn't hurt anyone." Elise straightened her spine a little and leaned forward, a habit whenever she wanted someone to listen to her. "This was all just a misunderstanding and you _know_ that."

The blond haired boy looked away from his sister, up towards the mountains. His eyes flickered as he thought, and Elise patiently waited for him to say something.

"You have to go home." Is what he decided on.

Elise sighed, and her face fell into a look of almost desperation. "Please, Cyril? Just take me along. I won't get in your way, I promise. _Please_ Cy. It'll take me all day to get back to Arendelle by myself, and that's if I don't get lost."

Cyril bit him lip, considering.

"I can't go home. Not now." Elise mumbled quietly.

After a moment of bitter silence, only the soft sound of the wind to be heard and the light breathing of the siblings, Cyril finally sighed.

"Fine," He muttered, letting his eyes fall to his feet. "You can come along."

Elise squealed loudly, and threw her arms around her brother's neck in a hug. He staggered under her weight, not expecting it, but straightened as soon as he could.

"You have to do what I say though," Cyril stated, pulling out if his baby sister's arms. "No running off the second you get a crazy idea- actually; no crazy ideas at all. You have to promise to listen to_ my_ plan, okay?"

Eagerly, Elise nodded her head.

Cyril rested his hands on his waist and sighed again, shaking his head. Despite acting upset, and Elise didn't doubt he felt angry, Cyril smiled. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Well, at least he wasn't calling her stupid. Elise smiled at him, and skipped a little on the spot. "Yes. But you are too."

Cyril chuckled, and moved to ruffle Elise's head. Because she was still wearing her hat, he just kind of moved it around on her head, so it sat awkwardly on an angle. This led to the young girl giggling.

After a moment, Cyril reached for his bag and flung it over his shoulder. "So," He turned back to Elise. "Are you ready to get going?"

Before the princess could respond, someone behind her answered for her.

"Aw, can't we rest first?"

The siblings both whirled around to face the source of the voice- one that they had heard every day for most of their lives.

Tom and Sver waved to them, smug looks taking over their young faces. They were clad in heavy winter clothes, like everyone else in that forest. The siblings barely noted Olaf, the snowman friend they've known since birth, because they were too distracted by the arrival of the rest of their family.

"You've got to be kidding me . . ." Cyril muttered, his shoulders slumping forward. Elise's mouth was opened in a surprised "o" as she stared at her brother and cousin.

"Hi guys!" Olaf called, waving his twig arm at them excitedly. The princess waved her hand weakly back at him, but her eyes were locked on the two boys walking towards them. It was funny almost- they all set out at different times, but here they were- all together.

She couldn't help it. A small giggle escaped the girl, which was met with a glare by Cyril. It only led to more laughter from the girl. When they were near enough, Elise reached out and pulled both of them into a hug. Tom was obviously surprised, but both of them returned her hug.

"Hey," She chuckled, holding them close for another second. When she did pull away, she quickly moved to hug Olaf, his signature flurry still hanging over his despite the freezing weather. It was kind of silly.

"You've got to be kidding me . . ." Cyril repeated, still stunned from all the events of that morning. Sver smiled at him, and wrapped his skinny arms around his brother's waist. Everyone looked at each other, still a bit surprised. Honestly, Elise was kind of glad they were there.

At least she didn't have to worry about them.

"Seriously," Cyril muttered, finally returning Sver's hug. "You've got to be kidding me."

* * *

><p>They had been walking in complete silence for a long time, Elsa often lost in thought. Anna didn't even attempt to make conversation this time, her own thoughts often stealing her focus. Kristoff noticed the tension between them, but when he tried to question it they both waved away his concerns.<p>

It must have been around noon when Elsa finally requested they stop for a break. She disappeared almost immediately to collect water from a stream they could hear nearby. It was the first time they hadn't found one that was frozen over or too shallow.

Finally alone, Kristoff grabbed Anna's elbow and lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "I need to tell you something." He mumbled.

Surprised, Anna blinked and looked up at her husband. If anyone was going to say that on this trip, he wasn't the one she expected to say it. "What do you need to tell me?" She grabbed his hand and held it tightly between two of her own.

Kristoff slowly sucked in a breath through his nose, closing his eyes tightly while he did. Anna tilted her head as she looked at him, concern clear on her face. She was about to say something, to reassuring him or encourage him to speak, but he reopened his eyes before she could.

"I know where Ina is." He whispered.

Anna stilled, surprised. "You . . . you what? How-"

"Well, I'm not positive, but we're heading in that direction and it'd be the perfect place for her to hide out . . ." Kristoff drowned on, the concern on Anna's face reflecting on his own.

Anna couldn't quite understand what he was saying, what he meant. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Kristoff, I don't understand. Where is she?"

Kristoff glanced away from Anna for a second, before returning his eyes back to her a moment after. "Anna, I'm . . . I'm pretty sure Ina went to Elsa's ice palace."

Seeing the mix of shock and confusion take over Anna's face, he hurried to finish explaining. "I mean, we're heading towards the North Mountain. I don't think she'd change her course, and anyone would want to explore that palace."

The idea turned over in Anna's head. Ina in Elsa's ice castle? She wasn't sure why it was so surprising to her. It was just . . . odd. Ina had never gone to the palace before- sure, she probably knew what it looked like, but Elsa had refused to show the kids. Elsa. How would she react?

"We can't tell her." Anna mumbled, the thought escaping through her mouth before she really processed what she was saying. She wasn't wrong though- Anna wasn't sure how Elsa would react. Elsa obviously hadn't wanted the children to see her palace for a reason, and if she learned that Ina had gone off and found it on her own . . .

"I know." Kristoff agreed, pulling Anna out of her thoughts. "But what _are _we going to tell her?"

Anna bit her lip and looked at her feet. It wasn't the _biggest _deal, but she really wanted to spare Elsa the stress of actually _knowing _where Ina was. But they couldn't ignore the ice palace forever- and maybe Elsa had already figured out where they were heading.

But yet, would the surprise of Elsa finding Ina in her runaway home be worse?

"Is everything okay?" Elsa's voice cut through the quiet air, startling the couple out of their thoughts. Anna glanced over Kristoff's shoulders, trying to shake her current gloomy expression off her face. Elsa looked as concerned as they had; she was holding mugs made of ice filled to the brim with water.

"Yeah," Anna muttered, bringing her hand up to smooth down her braids. "everything's fine."

She shared a look with Kristoff, and as she walked towards Elsa, she mouthed only a few words to him. _Don't tell yet_.

* * *

><p>Ina glanced around her ice palace, twirling the translucent cape she had created around. Despite destroying the castle more to her liking, Ina still couldn't understand how her mother had planned to live here forever. It was far too isolated.<p>

Ina wasn't like her mother that way; even her father liked his own company too much. Ina didn't want to be alone. She wanted someone to see her powers, to be amazed by them. She wanted people to fear them. She wanted to control them- the people- and the only way she knew how to do that was to make them fear her.

In a way, she was the complete opposite as her mother. Elsa had wanted to isolate herself so people wouldn't fear her. Ina wanted to be near people so they _would_ fear her.

Ina walked barefooted into the room she had begun calling the "shattered room," tossing her silver curls over her shoulder. She stepped over ice shards- they were identical to shattered glass- and towards the balcony. She'd noticed a large block of ice that looked as though it had been hacked at, and shoved from wherever it had formally been up against a wall. Ina knew she hadn't made it, and knew quite well Elsa must have. She knew the stranger spikes on the other side of the room were of her mother's creation as well, but had no clue as to why she'd ever make them.

Ina strode across the balcony and to the ledge, where she then sat and let her legs dangle over the side. A breeze caught at her cape and hair, and danced through them. Her white strands danced over her shoulder and tickled her neck.

She glanced down at the crevice, looking for any sign of the ginormous snowman she had encountered upon her arrival at the ice castle. If he had been there for twenty so years, Ina was positive he'd come back.

Without much to do here, Ina's thoughts often wandered. Of course, she thought about her father a lot. Most of the time her thoughts revolved around him, but they often slid back to her mother and brother. Her aunt, uncle and cousins popped up occasionally as well. Lately, though, the Snow Queen had been thinking about the snow monster.

She was surprised that Elsa had been able to create something like that; something alive, and functioning. Sure, Ina had grown up with Olaf, but that _thing _that guarded the ice castle was different. Ina didn't want to kill it. She wanted to use it.

Her mother had made it for a reason. The only thing Ina could think she'd ever create it for was protection. If Elsa could use it for that, then Ina could to. Maybe she could control it, find some way to get it to listen to her. Ina wouldn't be able to waltz into Arendelle and take it- she'd need force- more than just her powers. She needed that _thing_.

Ina smirked, and a sudden burst of excitement lit in her chest. She _wanted _that snowman to come back. She wanted it to work for her, or be her minion, or _whatever _it'd be considered. She didn't care, as long as it'd be her follower.

As she got to her feet, Ina's dress snagged on an ice shard she hadn't realized was pressing into her hip. It ripped into her ice dress, creating a jagged slit that ran the length of her leg. Despite no one being around for miles to see her little slip up, the snow queen's cheeks flamed. She held her hand over the slit, preparing to freeze it back up again, when she realized it looked like a shattered version of the slit in her mother's snow queen gown. What of her outfit _wasn't_ a shattered version of her mother's?

Smiling, Ina let her hand fall back to her side.

**There was something I wanted to say here as I was writing but I can't remember what . . . oh well.**

**CCCCccccooOOOONNNnnnttttTTTTEEEEeeesssSSSTTTttt EEEeeennnNNNTTTttttrrrRRRRIIIIiiieeeEEESSSss (I am planning on annoying all you guys until you enter the contest)**

**Okay bye for now!**


	18. Sickness

Tom's eyes flickered between his cousins. Elise, whom was only a few months older than himself, looked excited to see them. Maybe even happy. She _had _hugged them, after all. Her brown eyes were focused on Sver, and _his_ eyes were looking at the back of his eyelids. Though they had managed to sleep for a few hours after Olaf found them, the poor kid was still exhausted.

"Sev," Elise giggled, shaking her little brother's shoulders. He jerked back; despite having remained upright the whole time, no one was positive if he'd been awake or not. Sver groaned, and leaned into Elise's side.

Tom looked at Olaf, whom was smiling and talking excitedly. He was a short bundle of snow. Tom couldn't even remember being shorter than Olaf. Sver was shorter, but barely. He'd probably hit a growth spurt soon, and once again Olaf wouldn't be taller than anyone.

"You- how did you guys get here?" Cyril asked, shaking the shock of seeing all his younger family members in one place.

Tom rolled his eyes. Seriously, sometimes his cousin asked silly questions. "We walked."

"No. I mean, how did you _get _here. How did you find us." Cyril corrected, lifting his hat off his head and rubbing at his scalp. He looked older, like the last few days had aged him. Honestly, it seemed like it's aged everyone except Sver, whom was still sleepily chatting his Elise and Olaf.

"Oh." Tom, who had been lying in the snow, pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Your guys' tracks were still pretty visible when we left. You know, they weren't completely blown in. We lost them when it got dark, but Olaf found us, and led us to you guys. Now here we are."

Cyril let out a puff of air, which was a white cloud in front of his face. "I can't believe you guys." He mumbled, and it was almost like he was talking to himself. Tom chuckled at the amazed Cyril, and once again looked at Sver, Elise and Olaf.

"You'll be fine," Elise was laughing. Probably at Sver. Olaf had one of his arms wrapped around Elise, preparing to give her a hug but waiting for her full attention before he did. His flurry remained happily above him. In the cold weather, it still seemed out of place. Usually, Elsa would wave it away during the winter months, and summon it back at the beginning of spring.

Tom opened his mouth to say something to the group, but something cut him off. Something in the not-very-far distance. It was familiar. A very familiar _voice_.

Tom, straining to hear, held up his hand to stop anyone from asking him something. I was sure I heard . . . "Shh!" Tom hissed begging his cousins to quiet down.

"Tom, what-" Elise began, but was quieted by another shush. Once again straining his ears, Tom leaned in the direction that he was sure the voice came from. Following suit, Elise and Cyril both took a step forward, trying to hear whatever it was Tom was listening for.

" . . . send out . . . sincere . . . about the winter . . ." It was all that they could make out, but it was enough. The kids clearly heard Elsa's voice and they all froze as soon as it hit their eardrums.

"We'll deal with all that later." Kristoff's voice rung out, obviously louder than Elsa's. Elise's breath caught in her breath, and she made a low choked sound that concerned Tom enough to turn and look at her.

"Daddy." She whispered, shrinking away from the voices. Just by looking at her, it was obvious that she was afraid of being found. No one would admit it out loud, but they were _all_ afraid of being found.

Cyril threw a glance at his siblings, and then crept toward the thin trees that the voice had come from. "Cy, don't." Elise quietly called after him. Tom shushed her, and then they all waited to see what he would find, despite the answer being obvious.

"What's he-" Sver began, not at all trying to be quiet. Elise placed her hand firmly over his mouth, to prevent him from speaking. Cyril was risking _enough _trying to spy on their parents. They didn't need Sver's volume calling them out too.

Cyril reached the trees, and peered through their low branches. Everyone watched them, possibly holding their breath, and waited as patiently as they could before Cyril hurried back to their sides.

"It's them." He said, stating the obvious. Elise and Tom both fought the urge to roll their eyes at him, and only Tom was successful. Cyril glared at her, before continuing. "We can probably follow them straight to Ina if we follow this path, but we'll have to be quiet." He finished his sentence with his eyes on Olaf and Sver. Both of whom nodded their heads eagerly.

"Okay," Tom flung the bag Sver had brought over his shoulder. "Let's follow them then."

Everyone blinked. It wasn't that the idea surprised them. Everyone _knew _they were going to do it. It was just . . . I don't know, being presented the actual chance to do it. They wouldn't only be following their parents, but spying on them. Weather they wanted to or not, in order to stay caught up to them, they'd need to be within hearing range.

"Okay." Elise agreed, grabbing her own bag from the place she had thrown it.

Sver, though trying to be quiet, laughed and grabbed Elise's hand as soon as she had her satchel over one shoulder. She held up her pointer finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet, and he mimicked her to show he agreed.

Tom watched his cousins get prepared. _Was it a crazy idea_? _Not really_, He noted. _At least it wasn't compared to what was going on lately_.

Plus, it was the only plan they had to find Ina.

So, as quietly as they could, the kids began following their parents. Walking as close to the treeline as they dared, using only their voices and the limited view they had to follow them, everyone seemed to realize that they'd have to face them eventually.

Maybe not right away, but they'd still have to come out of their hiding places and reveal to their parents that they had looked for Ina without their permission. That would _not _be a fun meeting. It kind of made Tom feel sick; the mere thought of how mad his mother would be.

* * *

><p>Anna's stomach felt as if it were rolling inside her, threatening the return of her breakfast. She had thought she was past morning sickness (in reality, it was <em>all the time<em> sickness), but now she realized she had been wrong.

She risked a sideways glance at Elsa. They had been making decent conversation the last few hours, until Anna's nausea fully set in. She really didn't want to throw up in the presence of her sister. It might make her suspicious. Also, Anna really didn't want to add it to the Queen's stress.

So, she was now hiding Ina's location _and _her own morning sickness from Elsa. Two secrets in a day? Oops.

As soon as the conversation between Anna and Elsa fell flat, Elsa moved onto small talk with Kristoff. Hearing her sister talk about shipping and travel details with her husband in such a situation would have been funny, if not for how badly Anna wanted to tell him how awful she felt.

Discreetly as she could, Anna pressed against her side, as if it would urge the nausea away.

"When this is all over, I think I'll send a letter ahead to Leighton. To explain our absence and Tomas's death and such." Elsa's voice cut through Anna's own self-pity, and she looked over at the Queen. She could clearly see how difficult it was for Elsa to speak so casually about everything that had happened. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and her hands were unconsciously wrapping around her torso.

Anna wanted to reach out and pull Elsa into a hug, but knowing her luck, that'd be the moment she'd _actually_ vomit. Instead, she gave her sister a sympathetic smile. "You don't have to worry about Leighton right now, Elsa." She offered up quietly. "Considering everything going on, I'm surprised _that's_ the thing on your mind."

Elsa laughed weakly, and smiled at her sister. Anna couldn't help feeling that some cold block between them was beginning to melt. She couldn't wait for this whole mess to be over, so things could go back to the way they were before.

Continuing their trudge through the snow, Anna could see the trees thinning, and could just barely see the North Mountain's through the veil of clouds that blocked it. They'd arrive within the hour for sure. Butterflies flickered through Anna's already churning stomach at the thought. She glanced once more at Elsa, to read her expression and see if she knew where they were heading. Elsa's expression, sadly, was unreadable.

Anna looked at Kristoff quickly, and saw his shoulders were uncomfortably tensed. He was looking in the direction of the mountain as well. _Well, he knows_. She easily noted. It would have been comforting sharing the secret of knowing where Ina was, if she were sharing the secret with Elsa. Yes, it had been Kristoff who had told Anna in the first place, and she loved him, but . . . she felt kind of guilty hiding it from Elsa.

Maybe it was the mix of guilt and stress and finally had Anna's stomach turn. "Oh no . . ." She groaned, her hands flying to her stomach. _I don't want to throw up, I don't want to throw up_, she mentally chanted, despite knowing it'd do no good. Elsa and Kristoff's eyes both fell on Anna just as she doubled over, and vomit raced up her throat.

Kristoff was at her side in an instant, holding her braids out of the way and rubbing small circles on her back. "Anna, are you okay?" He mumbled, keeping his voice low though Elsa had already rushed over in concern.

"Anna! Oh god, Anna, are you alright?" Elsa called with worry in her voice, placing her hand on her sister's forehead as soon as she finished vomiting.

_Well . . . that was embarrassing_. Was the only thought Anna could properly think, though she nodded her head truthfully. Whenever she was sick, or er . . . _expecting_, she felt better after emptying her stomach. She just hated the feeling before and after said stomach emptying.

"I'm fine . . . I'm okay." Anna muttered, discreetly patting her stomach before straightening her spine. Elsa and Kristoff were still watching her, concerned, both with at least one hand on her. Kristoff's still remained on her back, while Elsa's was still on her face.

Anna wiped her mouth, badly wishing for a cup of the water they had drunken earlier, and shrugged. "I guess all the stress caught up with me." She tried to joke.

Elsa gave her a look. "Anna, you haven't vomited like that since you were pregnant with Sver." She reminded.

Anna laughed weakly, trying to move past that subject before her sister caught on. "And do you remember how stressed I was?" She laughed again, and then reached down for a handful of snow.

"Anna, maybe we should rest for a bit." Kristoff offered as Anna rubbed the snow over her mouth and chin, trying to clean herself up. She was really grateful that she hadn't gotten anything on her clothes. "Just for a few minutes." Kristoff added a second later.

But she didn't want to stop. She wanted to find Ina, to go home, and for everything to get back to normal. "No, I'm fine." She saw the worried look Kristoff cast her, and matched him with one of her own. "I'm fine. Honest."

"Anna, are you sure?" Elsa asked, grabbing Anna's arm and pulling her away from the mess. It was almost strange; Elsa was back to her concerned sisterly self after Anna embarrassed herself. Was that really how their relationship worked?

Anna smiled, to show she was alright. "I promise, Elsa. I am one hundred percent okay. So let's go." Then she looked back at her husband, whom wore the same concerned expression as Elsa. "I am okay. Seriously, it's not that big a deal."

Kristoff and Elsa shared a look, like parents trying to decide whether to let their child play with on that rock or not. Anna wasn't sure which one of them it was, but someone caved; and soon they were on their way again.

Tilting her shoulders so her cloak blocked Elsa from view, Anna placed her hand over her lower abdomen. _You are going to give me a lot of trouble, huh_?

She caught Kristoff's eye, and dropped her hand. He gave her a weak smile. He hadn't wanted to keep it a secret, but Anna had made him. Maybe it was unfair, but Anna felt it was best to keep her pregnancy a secret. That was, unless her sickness gave it away.

**From a few chapters back, Sver called Ina a stinker (the same way Anna had called Elsa one) and I forgot to mention that reference in the AN. Oops. Maybe you guys caught that on your own though? I keep forgetting a lot of stuff I want to put in the AN. Double oops. Oh well.**

**And I have never been pregnant (Not planning on it for a loooonnnnggg time) so everything about Anna's morning sickness has been based off research, other stories, and guesses. And I kind of just added this part of the chapter to fill space (and 'cause I haven't really talked about it since the first time I brought up the fact Anna was pregnant. It's not a huge part of the story anyway.)**

**'Kay bye!**


	19. Trouble

They had been walking for little less than twenty minutes when things between the kids began tensing.

Tom and Sver walked near the treeline- to spy and follow their parents. Elise, Cyril and Olaf walked a bit farther away, juggling all their bags and supplies. Sver had rushed over once, about five minutes after they began following the adults, to announce that Anna had thrown up.

Elise wanted to go to her mother right then; to confess everything and comfort her. As much as she refused to admit it, Anna wasn't exactly young anymore. Definitely not old, but Elise couldn't help worrying about her wellbeing. When she first voiced her concern to Cyril, he waved it away.

"What if she's sick?" Elise whispered, not wanting to risk being found. She readjusted the strap of one bag, sadly heavy, in her purple-mitten clad hand.

Cyril scoffed, and Elise watched him roll his eyes. "Elle, out of everything going on right now, do you really think it'd be an illness that takes Mama down?" His voice was lowered to the same volume as his sister's, but she couldn't help feeling he was too loud.

Elise sucked in a breath. "You think she's gonna' die on this trip?" Her voice rose without her consent, and she mentally slapped herself as if it were a reminder to stay silent.

Cyril blinked. "What? I never said that!" His voice was annoyed, but still quiet. He rubbed at his forehead and sighed. "Seriously Elle, you read into things too much. And no, I don't think Mama's going to die. But if you keep annoying me, you might."

The threat might have actually scared her, if not for the playful tone he added to his voice. She sighed, and looked down at the snow in front of her.

"I hope Ina leaves enough snow on the ground that Papa and I can build a snow fort!" Sver piped up, continuing a conversation with Tom that Elise and Cyril hadn't formally been listening to. The dark haired boy shushed Sver, and threw a worried glance through the trees- hoping they hadn't heard him.

"So," Olaf started, stealing Elise's attention and talking way too loudly for any of their interests. "What's the plan for when we find her?" Even a question as simple as _that_ sounded cheerful coming from the loveable bundle of snow. Elise fought the urge to shush him, and instead glanced at Cyril, waiting for an answer.

They had never actually discussed a plan. What Elise wanted to do was probably very different than what Cyril wanted to do, and she had no idea what Tom was planning. And Sver? He probably just came along for the adventure of it.

"We'll find her, talk to her, and convince her to come home." Cyril stated, his voice firm and sure.

"M'kay." Olaf responded, still a little loudly. He continued on, his ever present smile still shinning on his snowy face. He was one cheerful snowman. Elise though, was not as happy with her brother's answer.

"But how?" She asked, once again directing her question at her brother.

"For one, I think you should apologize." Tom called as softly as he could from the treeline to his cousins. His input surprised Elise, as she hadn't expected him to risk speaking when he was so close to the adults. Cyril nodded his head in agreement almost immediately, while Elise shook hers in confusion.

"Wait, what did I do?" She asked, glancing around at the curly-haired boys.

"Well, for one, you ruthlessly dropped the bomb that her father died." Cyril piped up, throwing a sympathetic smile at Tom when the younger boy winced.

Elise crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't ruthless-"

"And two," Cyril barreled on, interrupting the young girl. "For agreeing to help Ina become Queen."

_Are you kidding_? Was the first thought that came to the princess as the words slid out of the eldest prince's mouth. _Are you really still focused on that, with everything going on_? Elise scoffed, and looked upwards in an almost insulted disbelief. "Why would I need to apologize for that-"

"Wait a minute," Once again Elise was interrupted, but this time by Tom. She turned her attention to him, and instantly realized he had stopped walking. "You agreed to help my sister become Queen?"

Elise opened her mouth to say something along the lines of "_Well duh_," but stopped as soon as she realized who she was speaking to. Prince Tomas the second of Arendelle, first in line for the throne. AKA, Ina's only competition for the crown.

Elise realized in a matter of seconds that by agreeing to help Ina get the crown, she agreed to take it away from Tom. The cousin that was only a few months younger than herself. She had grown up with him, and by doing this . . . was she betraying him?

"Tom," Elise started, her instincts yelling at her to calm this all down. She really didn't need another person angry at her right now. "I never wanted to take the crown away from you. I never even considered what part you'd play in helping Ina become Queen. I just- . . . _she's older_. I thought it'd be fairer that she was next in line."

Tom stepped towards her, but he didn't seem angry. He looked betrayed. The exact thing Elise didn't want him to be. "It was my birthright!" He yelped, trying to remain quiet but his emotions raising his volume. "It's always been the first born _son_ as the next in line! _Always_! Mama was the _only_ female in a long time to become Queen without being married! And that was only because she had no brothers!"

Tom's voice had somehow risen to a scream, and in all his thirteen years his eyes had never been so full of hurt. If he was this upset over being King, Elise couldn't even begin to imagine how he reacted upon receiving word about his father's demise.

"Tom!" Sver cried out, knowing quiet well that the adults would have heard them. There was no way they _couldn't _have heard them. Everyone stared at the might-be future King, trying to figure out his reaction.

For a second, Tom didn't seem to notice the child's call. It took a few moments for it to sink in, to realize what his anger had cost. Shock flooded his features, and he whipped around to face the treeline, where they could already hear their parents approaching from.

"I'm so sorry." Tom whispered, sounding more defeated than upset. He sounded weak. Sver ran towards them, away from the treeline, and hugged Tom's knees as soon as he was in reach. The little boy then moved away and grabbed one hand from both Cyril and then Elise.

As soon as the thought popped into Elise's head, she voiced it. "You can't pin this on me. Not this time." Her voice was low, so only Cyril could hear.

"Yeah. But I probably will anyway." Was his muttered response.

Elise's eyes flickered up to him. It was partly his fault, but he'd never admit it. Just like Elise would never accept this was her fault too. They'd just go on denying it, though the guilt would start eating at them eventually.

"Tom?" Elsa's voice.

"Tom! Where are you?" Immediately recognizable as Anna's voice.

Kids? Tom? Where are you; what's wrong- kids!" Elsa again.

"Cyril! Elise! Sver!" And then Kristoff's.

With every name their parents called, their voices nearing, the kids winced. Oh, they'd be yelled at for sure. It'd be the worse yelling they'd ever gotten. They'd never be forgiven for this.

Elise glanced at Tom, willing for him to meet her eyes. Though he didn't turn her way, she mouthed _I'm sorry_ to him anyway. And she was. She was sorry for so many things. She was sorry she agreed to Ina's deal. She was sorry she told Ina about Tomas before she was supposed to. She was sorry that she snuck away, and she was sorry that she'd kept all of it from her parents. But she was especially sorry for the question she didn't know how to answer; she had to choose- Ina or Tom. It had been a choice she hadn't expected she'd have to make.

She heard her parents nearing, and her grip on Sver's hand tightened.

"Um . . . what are we all so scared of?" Olaf asked, his strange eyebrow lifting in confusion.

"Them." Cyril said, pointing at the all too close treeline. And then their parents broke through the trees.

* * *

><p>Kai had been working in the castle for a long, <em>long<em> time. He gave up the chance to raise a family of his own so he could work their- he had grown up, and grown old, within the walls of the castle.

But being in charge of it? No, no, no, that was_ not_ what he had signed up for. Not- at- all. But then again, he hadn't signed up for the job of isolating the princesses for more than a decade, cleaning and maintaining the large castle with only a handful of other staff, and he definitely hadn't signed up to go through _two_- not one- but _two_ oddly timed winters.

Considering all that, finding out that the entire royal family had disappeared into the Arendelle wilderness and the second youngest family member had left him in charge wasn't as surprising as one might think. But it definitely wasn't any less alarming.

The letter Prince Tom had left for him was tucked safely into Kai's back pocket as he handed out cloaks and knocked on village doors. He had put it there as soon as he read it, intending to set out and find them. Then, of course, he realized that he had no chance of catching up, and they really didn't need another person lost in the mountains.

"The castle is open to all who need it." Kai said once again to the young woman standing in the doorway of a village home. She rubbed her arms, and even though she was partly inside, her breath formed a cloud as soon as she let it out.

"Thank you, sir." The woman curtsied politely, as if she was talking to an actual member of the royal family. "I think I'll take my children, but I can't trouble the royal family with myself. I'll return home, but I believe I can trust them in the hands of those at the castle." Her voice was trusting, fully believing that her children would be safer (and warmer) in the arms of strangers.

"Please Madam," Kai offered one of the cloaks he remained carrying to her. "We have plenty of room, and wouldn't want you separated from your children in the event that the storm worsens."

The woman glanced over her shoulder into her house; more directly at the woodstove with no wood. From what Kai had gathered, her husband must have been elsewhere, assuming they wouldn't need wood through the summer months. It had happened to far too many people- they thought they wouldn't be cold, and here they were, stuck in the middle of a winter.

"You don't think it will, do you? The storm?" The woman's voice was filled with concern as she took the cloak from Kai's outstretched hand. To be honest, Kai wasn't sure. He had become familiar with both Queen Elsa's and Princess Ina's powers, but they both seemed so different. It was hard to determine what the princess would do, or if she'd follow in her mother's footsteps and stop the winter.

Kai opened his mouth to voice his opinion, when a sudden, loud, cracking sound invaded his eardrums. It didn't sound overly close, but definitely not far. The noise bounced around somewhere in his memory, but he couldn't quiet place it. It didn't stop, but continued, and got louder at an alarming pace.

"Ma'am," Realizing he had turned in the direction of the noise, Kai turned his face back to the young woman. "I do recommend you go to the castle immediately. But please excuse me."

The woman, her own face reflecting the worry regarding the strange noise, nodded and curtsied again. Kai already turned to rush towards the noise, but he did see the woman close the door, and heard her voice as she called for her children to get ready.

Kai focused on the noise instead. He had gotten old, admittedly, and, er . . . wasn't exactly what you'd call a thin man. But he ran as fast as he could towards the fjord, where he determined the noise was coming from.

He didn't have to go very far before the source of the noise became evident. Kai gaped at it, his jaw dropping open at the sight.

A large ice breaker, an impressively strong type of ship Kai had only seen a handful of times in his lifetime, was crossing the fjord. And while all other ships, smaller ones meant for light summer travels, were frozen in place, the ice breaker made its way across with ease. It, as the name suggests, broke through the ice and plowed towards the docks. The breaking and cracking ice created quite a lot of noise as the monstrous ship made its way towards the Arendelle ports.

Kai was immediately making his way across the bridge, towards the castle, where the new guests were undoubtedly headed. He was huffing and puffing, and suddenly sweaty despite the freezing temperatures. Why would anyone come to Arendelle at a time like this, and go through so much trouble to get here?

Kai didn't dwell at it, and instead marveled at the magnificent ice breaker as it made its way to the ports. It never bothered to stop at the entrance- no one had been stationed there since the fjord froze over.

As Kai began crossing the ice and snow covered bridge, He starred at the large _L_ that was crafted into the side of the ship.

**So…I'm guessing what follows this ending is a little obvious, huh? How many people can guess what's going to happen? I bet all of you. Oh well, I hope it was somewhat surprising anyway. **

** Okay, so PazGranger sent me the link to a piece of fanart she made (like...what!? Oh my god, I'm so flattered! Thanks again!) based on chapter one of my other frozen fic "Arendelle Adventures." Sadly, every time I try to post the link it gets rid of the "h-t-t-p-:-/-/" without me wanting to. So, I'll post the link, but you'll have to add "h-t-t-p-:-/-/" (no dashes, duh) before it on your own. Maybe you guys already know to do that when you want to follow a link. I didn't, but I'm not you.**

**Okay, anyway, here's the link to the picture on tumblr: ** post/79266626339/arendelle-adventures-chapter-1-okay-okay****

**And here's the link to the picture on instagram: ** /p/laDn70FWsR/#****

**Sheesh, posting these links were a lot of trouble. But I hope you'll check it out!**


	20. Bored

When Elsa first heard the voice that was clearly her son's, she thought for a moment she'd imagined it. She thought the stress and worry for her children had led her to begin hearing their voices inside her head. It was only when Anna's head popped up as well that the Queen fully realized she wasn't the only one hearing things.

When Sver's voice rang out, screaming Tom's name in something close to fear, the adults didn't wait a second to start running in the direction the boys' voices came from. At least two things became clear; 1: Tom and Sver were in the mountains. 2: they must be trouble to be yelling as much as they were.

"Tom?" Elsa called, her fear finally piercing her voice. She caught Anna's eyes as they began running, before the younger woman began calling as well.

"Tom! Where are you?" Anna cupped her gloved hands around her mouth to help her sound travel faster as they hit the treeline. The Queen didn't even have time to fee; grateful that Anna was calling for Elsa's son instead of her own, as she was already yelling out towards them again.

"Kids?" She stepped over a fallen branch, and could already see the opening beyond the treeline. "Tom? Where are you? What's wrong- kids!"

"Cyril! Elise! Sver!" Kristoff's voice barked out. The Queen hadn't even considered that the other two children would be there, though it seemed likely . . . She shook all the guesses out of her mind, trying to focus only on the situation at hand.

They burst through the trees at almost the same exact time, huffing and puffing from their worrisome sprint. Elsa pushed her braid over her shoulder, and peeled her eyes up towards her children.

Her eyes landed on her dark haired son immediately, which she was partly grateful for. He didn't look injured, though his expression looked anything but happy. The Queen glanced behind him, at her niece and nephew, and was only partly surprised to learn they were out there was well. They'd never let Tom and Sver go out alone, but that didn't make the situation any better. She noted Olaf, whom she would have been happy to see on any other occasion. He made the smart decision of backing up a few feet to exclude himself from the arguments everyone thought would occur.

"Tom," Elsa gasped, grabbing onto her son's shoulders and shaking him lightly- as if she wanted to make sure he was actually there. "What are you doing here, I told you not to leave Arendelle!" Her voice held a hint of anger, which was almost calming. She could almost never be angry and worried at the same time, so her worry must have dimmed.

"Mama, I'm sorry. We-" Tom lowered his head.

Elsa let out a breath, and tried to will Tom to look at her. ""I'm sorry?" You could have gotten yourself killed! What were you thinking?" Despite the fact that she was angry, the Queen was surprised by how well she was taking this. She felt like she should be screaming at him, forcing him back down the mountain towards home. Perhaps she had just guessed that they'd follow them. In all honesty, if they wouldn't stay in Arendelle, the next best place for them would be with the adults.

Tom lifted his eyes to his mother's for a second, before dropping them again.

Meanwhile, Anna and Kristoff didn't really know how to proceed, now that their children were here. They glanced at each other, and then at their kids, who looked like they were awaiting a death sentence.

"How did you get here?" Anna started, grabbing onto Sver's arm and pulling him closer to her. Her older children, yeah, they took after herself. They'd do something crazy like this- she didn't think Sver would.

"Why are you here? You were supposed to wait at home." Kristoff reminded, shooting what Anna would describe as disapproving glares at Elise and Cyril.

"And Sver? Why would you bring him? He's a little boy, he could've been- _all of you_ could've been hurt!"

Elise stepped forward, clasping her lavender gloves around her upper arms. "I know, and we're sorry." She glanced at her brothers. "But we couldn't just stay home with everything going on. We want to help."

Cyril stepped forward then, leaning over Elise's shoulder. "And I'd just like to add, we weren't the ones to bring Sev. Technically, I didn't even bring Elle."

"Thanks." Elise scoffed under her breath, all the sarcasm her un-sarcastic body had to offer going into the one word. The princess lifted her shoulders a little, trying not to shrink under her parents gaze. "But Cyril's telling the truth. He didn't want me to come, but I followed him. Then Sver and Tom followed us." She pointed her chin in the direction of her cousin as she said this, though he was still in a deep conversation with the Queen.

"Yeah . . . well . . ." Anna glanced at Kristoff. She had no idea what she was supposed to do now. What _could _they do? Send all the children back down the mountain? They could never do that. Kristoff shrugged. He, obviously, would be no help. _Thanks a lot_. Anna mentally complained.

Anna felt a tug at her elbow, and turned to find Elsa standing, with a serious looking Tom behind her. "Anna," Elsa mumbled, tightly clasping her hands in front of her. "You promised to go home when things got too dangerous. Continuing forward is way too dangerous for the kids. So . . . I think you should take them home."

Kristoff's head popped up, and he stepped towards his suddenly confused wife. "I agree." He offered, grabbing Anna's hand between two of his own.

"Wait, what? No." Anna shook her head.

The children, of course, were now listening intently.

"I don't want Mama to take us home!" Sver cried out, stepping away from her as he said. He moved towards Elise instead, who grabbed his hand as soon as he neared. "I want to help find Ina too."

"Yeah," Elise and Cyril said in unison. Their eyes flickered towards each other, surprised. Then Cyril continued. "I'm not a child anymore. I'm not going home."

"And neither am I." Elise offered, almost angry that he pulled out the adult card. She never liked that she never could use it. Well, she could try. It usually didn't work though.

"Yes, you two are going home." Anna turned her gaze on her children. Then quickly back to the two older adults. "But I'm not."

"_Please _Anna." Elsa begged, once again looking far older than she actually was.

"No."

"The Kids can't stay out here." Kristoff reminded, his voice taking on the same tone that Elsa's had held.

"I agree." Anna said. "But I'm not going to be the one to take them. Not when we're so _close_ to finding Ina."

"How do you know we're close?" Elsa asked, confusion taking over her tone. Anna and Kristoff both turned to her, not really knowing how to continue. _I can't believe I just told them that. I'm an idiot_, Anna thought. They had to tell her. They couldn't avoid it. They wanted to, but they couldn't.

Finally, Anna sighed and stepped towards her sister. She looked at Tom instead of Elsa, as if it'd somehow make telling her the truth easier. "Elsa," She began, opening her hand to for her sister's. "We need to tell you something."

As Elsa slipped her fingers through Anna's gloved hand, the younger girl finally brought her eyes back to the Queen. "Elsa, we know where Ina went."

Complete. And utter. _Silence_.

"_What_?" Elsa laughed weakly, pulling her hand back out of Anna's. "You . . . you know where Ina is? _And you didn't tell me_?" She looked at the hand that had formally been held by Anna. The younger woman wanted to find some way to comfort her sister, but she had been the one who held it from her. It was her own self that hadn't told Elsa where Ina was. "Well where is she, where's my daughter?"

Kristoff must have felt like Anna had told enough, because he stepped forward and placed his hand on Anna's shoulder. "She's at your ice palace." He gushed. "At least, we're pretty sure."

Elise and Cyril both blinked. They'd heard of Elsa's ice palace many times, yes, but never had they gone there. Elsa had never wanted them to. But to think that Ina had seen it, had hidden there . . .

"She's _WHERE_!?" Elsa screamed, in a voice that stilled everyone. It was loud, and angry, and fearful. It was something that none of them had ever heard come from Elsa's throat. The burst of wind that shot from her and forced everyone stumbling back a few feet seemed pale in comparison to the scream that it had accompanied.

Almost too quickly after Elsa's surprise outburst (which seemed to bounce off the treetops and mountain peaks it was so loud) Kristoff pointed his hand in the direction they were heading. Elsa followed his outstretched arm, and gasped as she finally saw the outline of her former ice palace.

* * *

><p>Ina was getting bored. And this was a <em>major<em> problem to the girl.

That snow-thing that her mother had created had so far not returned, much to the disappointment of the self-proclaimed Queen. She had nothing to entertain herself with; she had already gone through every ice corridor to taint them more to liking, and was not interested in conjuring up anything on her own. She had even considered creating a harsh wind and sending it towards home, but even _that _didn't seem like an appealing option.

She knew she couldn't stay there forever- she'd go insane isolated like this. And what would be the point? She'd never become a real queen just by sitting around in a fake castle. She'd have to go back to Arendelle eventually, but she'd need a plan.

It was easy enough to imagine what she wanted to do; march into Arendelle, threaten to continue the winter unless she was named queen, and then control the kingdom to her liking. The difficult part was _how_. How would she do it?

Well, she had imagined she'd figure out a way to control the giant snowman. But as he had not returned, it seemed like that wasn't an option. She had planned to use him as a type of bodyguard- a physical threat to anyone that wanted to stop her.

She also thought her mother would give up the kingdom easily; not wanting for it to fall into an eternal winter.

But she could count on neither. For all she knew, the snowman wouldn't be returning. And Elsa just might refuse to step down, while wanting to protect Arendelle. Maybe she saw Ina as a danger.

Well, she shouldn't be wrong.

"How does one go about taking over a kingdom?" She asked aloud. Most people would probably go to war, but that was too messy and time consuming. Even if she _did_ go to war, who would fight with her?

Wait. Not _who_ would fight with her, but _what _would fight with her. If Elsa had created a giant scary snowman to protect her castle and fight anymore who threatened it, couldn't Ina make the same thing, only to protect herself instead?

"Yes . . ." Ina mumbled, as though someone was there to listen to her. "Yes, of course! That's how I'll do it!" She whirled around and headed towards the glistening, fractured staircase. She'd create snowmen, large ones, to protect herself! They'd battle anyone that tried to stop her. And from what she knew, they wouldn't be able to die. At least not at the hand of a sword. Fire, maybe, but it'd have to be quite large to take down a herd of snow beasts like the one Elsa had created.

Ina held her hands up, palms toward her face, as she hurried down the stairs. Could she really do it? Create a living thing? Yes; a killing machine, if necessary, but no less alive.

Ina's bare feet padded against the now-dark ice flooring as she rushed towards the door. Her hip bumped into the frozen fountain as she went, and she reminded herself she needed to "fix" it to something more her style later.

Ina pushed open the large semi-see though doors and her feet instantly sunk in the soft snow that had begun to build up. She sucked in a cold, clean breath and looked around. She could do it. She could create a snowman. How hard could it be?

Ina looked at the snow beneath her feet, blocking her eyes from the ice beneath it. Annoyed, she stomped her foot, and a burst of wind brushed all the snow away and off the shattered staircase leading back down to the mountain.

Pleased, Ina looked at her hands again. She was sure she could do it . . . she just wasn't sure how.

She didn't have to consider it for very long, as a soft noise pierced the air and stole her focus.

It was a scream. She was sure of it. It was soft, probably far away, but Ina was sure that it was a scream. Not a scared scream, but a frustrated, angry one. And it was familiar too. Where had she heard that voice before . . .

Ina suddenly remembered; she had been eight years old and playing by one of the docks with Cyril. She had dared him to stand on a block of ice in the water, but he refused. She had urged him that she'd make it strong enough to hold his weight so he wouldn't fall in, but he was unconvinced. To prove herself, Ina had created a patch of ice in the water and stood on it.

She'd admit it- she had been quite smug standing on the water with her older cousin staring at her in fear from the dock. She had done something that her big older cousin had been afraid to do. Of course it was something to be smug about.

She didn't get a chance to celebrate though, before she heard an angry scream pierced the air. No, not a scream; a yell. It had been an angry yell- directed at Ina. She hadn't heard it often, only a handful of times in her young life. It was angry, and fearful, and sharp all rolled into one breath.

"Ina!" It was like a fuzzy memory suddenly cleared, as the snow queen saw the memory of her mother running towards her on the dock. "Ina, get back on the dock!"

The princess had obeyed, reluctantly, and grew annoyed as Cyril ratted her out on it. She was banned from the docks for a month before the queen trusted her enough to let the princess go back on them again.

But it had her mother's voice she heard. Her mother's yell. Shaking the memory off, she turned her black eyes quickly in the direction of the voice, straining her neck in an attempt to hear anything else. Elsa was in the mountains- and she had to be looking for her. Why else would she be out here? But if she were yelling at someone . . . then it meant someone else was here too.

Ina stumbled back inside, closing the doors behind her as she went. Elsa wasn't supposed to come looking for her. Ina was supposed to plan everything, and _then _go back to Arendelle. Her family was never supposed to look for her. They couldn't drag her back home when she was so close to having everything figured out.

Ina considered creating a sheet of ice in front of the door, so they couldn't get in, but decided against it. They'd find another way to get in anyway. All she could do was wait for them, and make her decisions now. She'd just have to find a way to get them home, so she could corner them back in Arendelle.

Maybe she had a plan, and maybe it was being put in action far quicker than she thought it would.

**I really didn't like the adults-find-the-kids part of this chapter. Like . . . uhg. **

**I have nothing to say today. So bye!**


	21. Almost There

Elsa stomped through the snow, her hands curled into fists and her face twisted into a scowl. She was seething, and her powers reflected it. The formally soft snow would harden under her feet as she walked, making it difficult for anyone to walk directly behind her. Tom had tried, but gave up soon after and continued walking with his aunt's family.

Anna had apologized a million times to Elsa, but the older woman refused to listen. Elsa was doing exactly what Anna tried to prevent her from doing. Yes, she did realize that holding Anna at an icy distance because of what she did was unfair, but Elsa was hurt and uninterested in forgiving them so quickly.

The only conversation Elsa had offered up after her little outburst was her opinion on bringing the children.

"I don't want to argue about this right now." She had muttered. "You all won't go home, even if I beg, so I'm not going to waste my breath." She hadn't waited for a response, but instead stalked forward, her anger like a wave vibrating off of her.

"We really are sorry, Mama." Elise had mumbled to Anna, grabbing her mother's arm tightly. Anna gave her brown-haired daughter a weak smile. She really couldn't stay mad at her children. They only wanted to help. Sure, they had disobeyed them, and they'd be in trouble for it . . . but Anna would have done the exact same thing.

The fog that had blocked the castle from view cleared as they neared, and they could almost see it perfectly. The children were obviously amazed by what Elsa had built, though the older three tried to hide it. Sver wasn't as gracious.

"Wow!" He exclaimed, tugging on his father's arm and pointing in the direction of the ice palace. His hair looked closer to a dark red than brown as the sunlight hit it, though hardly any of it was visible at all beneath his hat. "Look Dad! _That's_ the castle Auntie Elsa made?"

He sounded excited, but Kristoff didn't return the boy's joy. He just nodded, and soon Sver followed in his footsteps and quieted down as well. No one really spoke after that.

The usually cheerful Olaf didn't try starting much conversation either; it was like he had absorbed the tension in the air and it shoved him into the same gloomy state that everyone was beginning to feel. Everyone felt bad, but they couldn't do anything about it. Well, not until the found Ina, anyway.

When the upwards path began settling into a smoother coarse and the trees disappeared, the castle quickly rose upon them. And the adults quickly realized something was wrong.

"My powers-" Elsa began.

"They don't look like that." Anna cut her sister off, though she mostly just finished the sentence. Elsa and Anna shared a look, the concern growing between them. The Queen could now see why Anna had wanted to keep this from her. She was still mad, of course, but it at least made a little more sense.

"You built this?" Elise asked in surprise, gazing at the nearing ice palace. She wasn't as impressed as she thought she'd be, though it _was_ an impressive creation. She couldn't believe her aunt could make something like that . . . yes, she had heard about it but she always thought . . . well, she thought it'd be prettier than it was.

Elsa gave one slow nod of her head, and automatically reached towards Tom, who as well had stepped closer to his mother. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders and she starred up at the castle that had obviously been messed with.

The beautiful, majestic palace of ice that Elsa had created twenty-three years ago stood before them, but oh so different from the way they left it. The ice looked dark and dangerous, and wasn't as clear as it had been when Elsa made it. The staircase that led to it was mostly the same, though shattered.

"I . . . I don't . . ." Elsa shook her head, before turning her eyes back up to the tainted ice palace.

"Mom?" Tom asked, concern looping into his voice as well.

"I don't understand . . . did Ina do this?" Elsa questioned, though it was not directed at anyone. No one could know, though it was likely. Elsa was still mad at her family, yes, but she couldn't help feeling protective of them whilst seeing her tortured ice palace. Her worry for her family's wellbeing only led for her to become scared- after all, why would she ever need to protect them from her own daughter?

"Elsa?" Anna inquired. The Queen tore her eyes off her- well, what used to be her ice castle, and put them on her sister. The younger woman's face was drawn tight with concern, and it softened Elsa's stress. Knowing that she had someone to lean on, even when she was mad, was comforting.

"I-" Elsa shook her head, and let her hands fall from Tom's shoulders. "We should hurry. We don't want to miss her."

Then she turned and stalked in the direction of the castle.

"Wow," Olaf exclaimed as the family started following. "Ina's going to be in a lot of trouble, huh?"

Nodding, Sver skipped forward so he could walk with the snowman, while his older siblings fell into step beside each other. Elise glanced sideways at Cyril, and then at her parents in front of them.

"Cy?" Elise leaned forward, tilting her head so she could look at her brother better. His blue eyes flicked to hers as she continued. "Everything's been pretty all over the place lately. And, well . . . I was wondering what you thought about it all."

The young man raised an eyebrow at his baby sister. What an odd question. Of _course _things were all over the place- they had to deal with a hundred different things at once. It was like having to pack a hundred different outfits into a tiny suitcase.

"What I think of it all?" He repeated. Elise nodded.

"Well," He began, throwing his satchel more comfortably over his shoulder. "I think what happened to Uncle Tomas is awful. I think Aunt Elsa must be going through h-" He caught himself, knowing his baby sister thought the smallest words were swears, and cleared his throat before continuing. "I think Ina's running away happened at the worst time possible and that the winter only adds insult to injury."

"But," Cyril mumbled, trying to smirk playful (though it didn't look very convincing). "That's just my thinking. What do _you_ think about it all, Elle?"

It'd be a lie if Elise said she didn't ask her question because she wanted to answer it herself. "I agree that Uncle Tomas . . . well, what happened to him was awful. I never ever thought that the ship would get caught in the storm. And Aunt Elsa . . ." Elise shrugged. "I can't imagine what she's going through. But Tom and Ina are going through it all too. Tom hasn't been very vocal about it-" She pointed her chin in her cousin's direction as she spoke. "-but maybe that's the way he deals with his grief. I think running might be the way Ina deals with it. And I'm guessing her grief caused the winter. I don't think she meant to. But I do think finding her and letting her and Auntie Elsa figure everything out will be best for everyone."

Her answer may or may not have confused her brother.

"Wait," He stopped, and grabbed Elise's arm to stop her as well. "You think Ina didn't _mean_ to cause the winter? Elle- I saw her. I know she froze the gates, so she must have meant to make the winter."

Elise sighed. She hadn't meant for this to lead to another argument. She considered speeding up and falling into step beside her mother, where Cyril wouldn't dare argue. Instead, Elise toughed it out, and stayed beside her brother.

"Ina's sixteen. She wouldn't try to freeze an entire kingdom. She just . . . ran off to clear her head, and this all happened by accident. The same way Arendelle froze when Aunt Elsa ran."

"Are you making_ excuses_ for her?" Cyril hissed, louder than he intended. Anna looked over her shoulder at them, and let her eyes flicker over them. After a moment where she seemed to be calculating them, Anna pointed at Elise, and wiggled her finger to indicate the young girl to come stand beside her. Elise left Cyril's side, grateful to have left before an argument could have broken out, and stood beside her mother.

"Cyril, wanna' race?" Sver called, the little boy's hand clasped in Olaf's twig one. With a glance at his parents, and then at Elsa, for approval, Cyril jogged to meet up with his brother.

"Wait for us when you get to the ice palace!" Kristoff called, just as the boys took off. Cyril was intentionally running slower than Sver, whom was giving it his all.

"We will!" He called over his shoulder, referring to his father's demand. Olaf let out a whoop followed by a laugh and then ran off after them.

Elise linked her arm through Anna's, and reached for Kristoff's hand. A bit surprised, Kristoff wound his hand through his daughter's, and gave it a small squeeze. She wanted to call out to Elsa, whom was still sulking. Tom was walking closer to her though, which somewhat comforted everyone.

"I'll bet we'll be there within five minutes." Kristoff muttered, his eyes basically glazing over at the sight of the nearing structure.

Five minutes. Five minutes until they reached the palace, until they found Ina, and until they either fixed everything of ruined everything. They could only hope they'd be fixing everything.

* * *

><p>When Kai had rushed back to the castle to greet the mystery guests, he wasn't a hundred percent sure what to expect. All the servants were rushing about, and a few townspeople lingered around the fireplace, though he didn't give them much mind. His focus was on the large icebreaker that had made its way to Arendelle, and he wanted to know who'd go through the trouble of getting here at such a time.<p>

He didn't expect to find a woman and foreign guards making their way to the study. He intercepted them, and led them to the library (as it was heated while the study was not).

Kai noted that the woman held an air of familiarity. Something in her long dark curls and strong defined jaw tickled the aging servant's memory. She looked to be in her mid-forties, much like the Queen herself, and the mystery woman held herself as if _she_ were a Queen.

"Miss," Kai bowed politely, and motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs by the fire. She remained standing. "I can't believe I remember making your acquaintance before now."

"I don't believe we have, Mr. . ." She drowned off, waiting for him to fill in the blank.

"Kai, please. Just Kai."

"Kai." She repeated, before motioning for her guards to sit. They did, the two red-clad men seating themselves as close to the fire as they could get without burning themselves. "I am Lady Amelie of Leighton."

The woman moved herself closer to the fire, her green dress gliding against the floor as she walked. "You see," She intertwined her fingers together. "My brother, Tomas, married your Queen. Elsa, I believe her name is. He left our home Kingdom to come here, which was quite startling. After I got married myself, our communication all but ceased completely."

_Oh_, Kai thought, _she must have learnt of her brother's demise_. But yet . . . what if she hadn't? Kai decided he'd rather not be the one to tell her. "I didn't know lord Tomas had any family. It is nice to see I was wrong."

She made a noise, something one might make when disinterested. "Yes. Well, only a few days ago, I received word that my brother and his wife went overboard on their way home to Leighton." She turned her eyes, so dark they were nearly black, on the old servant.

Kai couldn't help but squirm a little, and it was obvious that the woman noticed.

"Of course," She shrugged, and a sudden knowing smirk crossed her features. "It was much more surprising, as the information came directly from my brother himself."

**Whoa! Surprise hiatus! Turns out the last while was really busy for me, due to pretty awful planning on my part. I won't make excuses though- I'm sorry for not posting in a while!**

**Not a hundred percent happy with this one, but I'm excited about them FINALLY making it to the ice castle in the next chapter (it's taken forever)**

**Did I already tell you guys about pazgrangers 2****nd**** piece of fanart…? I am now, haha. Check out her profile, I believe there is a link to her Instagram (where you can find the pictures, and others).**

**Okay- I'll be posting an 'official' announcement of the contest winners on Arendelle Adventures after my next few chapters- I'll be talking to the contest winners a bit before that, but I promise they'll be announced soon!**


	22. Return

The crisp, cold air was electric as he stepped above deck. It stung his nostrils as he inhaled, and was visible in a thin cloud as he _ex_haled. The icebreaker didn't bob in the water- it was far too large for that, but instead was still and motionless. It was almost eerie- definitely out of place, at the least.

Tomas winced as he climbed the last few steps to the main deck. When he had gone overboard he had hit not only his hip, which caused pain when he walked, but his head as well. He could no longer tell if his brain was pulsing from the injury or a headache. The entire right side of his body had managed to hit the ship as he fell; and he'd never admit how much pain he really was in.

"Tomas!" A voice called from the front of the ship. Tomas tore his eyes away from his frozen home, and instead at the man running towards him, a concerned look crossed his face, which led Tomas to chuckle.

"Alek, I told you; I'm fine." He reassured. The man, Alek, didn't look convinced. Really, no one would have been convinced. Tomas was in pretty bad shape- his head, a spot frightening close to his temple, was badly bruised, and it continued down the side of his face. His right arm was held in a sling (he had broken it in the fall) and he limped as he walked. Only Tomas himself and a few of the crew members that had assisted with his injuries knew about the bruises on his hip and right side of his body hidden by his clothing.

After waking up in Leighton, Tomas realized that Alek had just arrived from Arendelle. He had left just as the fjord froze over- and he told Tomas that the small crew that left barely made it out. The most shocking thing was hearing that it had been Alek that had dove in and saved Elsa, whom had gone overboard as well.

Despite suffering from many injuries, Tomas desperately wanted to get home after hearing news about Arendelle freezing. The only downside was that the ship wasn't allowed to leave unless his sister was onboard.

Ignoring Tomas's comment, Alek took the blanket he had wrapped around himself and slung it over Tomas's shoulders. Tomas gave him a look. "Despite saying you're fine, those bruises beg to differ." Alek shook his head, and changed the subject. "Listen Tomas, Lady Amelie already left the ship."

Tomas paused. "Left the ship?" He turned his eyes towards the castle, no doubt where his sister must have gone. "Why wouldn't she wait?"

"She hasn't exactly been known to make the best decisions, Sir." Alek joked lightly.

Tomas sighed, and took the first step down the gangplank. He had heard about the winter Elsa caused years ago, and how it had affected everyone. He never thought he'd ever see one. He never thought Elsa would get upset enough to cause another one- or perhaps Ina had helped with it?

He moved as quickly as he could down the dock, and Alek kept pace. After nearly slipping on a sheet of ice as they climbed the steps to the mainland, Alek let out a low whistle. "Your Queen did all _this_? And _twice now_?" He let out another whistle and shook his head.

Tomas smiled weakly. He missed Elsa. He missed Tom. He missed Ina- especially because they fought the last time he saw her. He missed his wife's family- he even missed the servants and the townspeople. He hoped that as soon as Elsa saw him, saw that he was okay- and okay was a broad term- everything would be fine.

Walking through Arendelle, no matter how frozen it was, made Tomas realize how much he had missed it. He had gone only a few days, but so much had happened. He wanted to see Elsa. He_ needed_ to see Elsa. He needed to tell her everything was fine- that they'd all be okay.

Tomas saw a few lingering townspeople, and their eyes widened when they saw him. He lifted his good hand in a wave. He wasn't surprised people were shocked by his appearance- from what he could tell; they all thought he was dead. And not including the injuries, he didn't exactly look like himself- his face remained unshaven and his hair fell forward into his eyes instead of brushed back like usual. He wasn't wearing the royal clothing he usually did, but instead was dressed in an old white shirt and the same pants he wore when he went overboard.

They neared and passed through the palace gates quickly. The courtyard was empty- it was quite an odd sight, considering how packed with citizens it often was. Alek kicked an ice shard as they walked, and the men watched as it skid across the ground and spun on the ice, stopping as soon as it hit the bottom stair. Alek helped Tomas climb the castle steps, but stopped at the door.

"Aren't you coming?" Tomas asked, pointing his chin towards the door. "You can sleep in one of the guest rooms- have you slept since the storm?"

"I have family here. I can stay with them." Alek looked back in the direction of the town. "Thank you, though. I'm sure you'll want some alone time with your family anyway."

"I won't be alone with them as long as Amelie is here." Tomas muttered. He shook his head, trying to clear his head from thoughts of his sister, and smiled at Alek. "I'll send someone to get you when she's ready to leave."

He really hoped it'd be soon.

* * *

><p>Tomas used his shoulder to push the library door open and walked inside. The warm glow of the fire lit his face, and he blinked to adjust to the light. One of the servants, after getting over the shock of seeing him, had told him where to go.<p>

As he had expected, Amelie was there with the Leighton guards, but Elsa was nowhere in sight. Neither were Anna and Kristoff, or Ina and Tom and the other kids. Instead, Amelie was speaking with Kai- one of the servants.

"Lord Tomas!" Kai gasped in relief, and jumped up from his chair right away. Tomas was almost surprised to hear 'lord' in front of his name- over the last few days, he had simply been Tomas. The aging man quickly grabbed his arm and guided him to the chair he had formally taken up. Tomas noted how Amelie nodded to her guards and how they quickly stood up and left. Kai stole Tomas's attention a moment later by handing him a blanket. "Would you like me to get the doctor, my Lord?"

Tomas shook his head. "No, no that won't be necessary. But could you find my wife? Then I'll gladly explain everything that happened." Tomas's eyes slid back to Amelie. "And then could you escort Miss Amelie back to the ship?"

"_Lady _Amelie." She said, crossing her arms over her chest like a child.

"_Fine_, _Lady_ Amelie. Thank you, Kai- and please find my children as well." Tomas closed his eyes, feeling tired. Finally being home, only moments away from seeing his family again, exhausted him. This had all been a long, scary journey that he couldn't wait to end.

Kai opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly stopped. "I'll go get you some tea, Sir." Was all he said before turning and hurrying out of the room far faster than Tomas would have expected someone of his age to be able.

It was only a few seconds of silence before the door clicked shut and Amelie clapped.

"Well Baby Brother, it must be nice to have visited home- even under the circumstances." She put her hands on her hips and smirked at him.

"You know very well that Leighton isn't my home." Tomas shot back. He was in no mood to make small-talk with Amelie. "Arendelle is."

"Aw, come on, Tommy. Surely you missed your family?" She tried to put on an innocent expression, which almost looked humorous on her face. Tomas was in no mood for Amelie's silly games.

"If by family you mean you," Tomas let him eyes slip closed again. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to see Elsa. He _didn't _want to sit here talking to Amelie. "No."

"Oh, I am _insulted_." She raised her hands to her chest, and took a half step back. "Really Tommy, don't you think you should be nicer-"

"Please stop doing that." He sighed, cutting her off. "Stop calling me Tommy, stop acting like we're close, and stop calling me your brother. You know very well that none of that is true."

"You're still my brother, whether you want to or not. You can't change your blood, Baby Brother, no matter how far you move away." Amelie reminded, picking up a cup of tea that Kai must have brought her before Tomas arrived.

"Maybe it's just me, but I haven't considered you my sister since you-"

Amelie scoffed. "You're still not over that? Tommy-" She caught herself after a glare from her brother. "-Tomas, that marriage was none of your business."

"You _made _it my business when you used me as an excuse to make Arendelle Leighton's main trade partner." Tomas fought the urge to scream at her. "What could you _possibly_ have gained by dragging Elsa and I into that?"

Tomas and Amelie hadn't come from a royal family originally. They had been regular townspeople, commoners, and that was it. It was only Tomas's friendship with the Princes of Leighton that led him to become the representative at Anna and Kristoff's wedding. The royal family was fighting with a trade partner they already had, and they feared that their current trade partner would call it off. They wanted Arendelle to become a partner in the event that their current one _was_ called off, so they sent Tomas in order to "get a foot in the door," so to speak.

When he met Elsa, and fell in love, he wasn't interested in returning to Leighton. Elsa didn't return his affections at first, so he had reluctantly gone home. It was when he returned and told his sister about his feelings for the Queen that she pushed him to meet with her again. At first he thought she was just encouraging him to go after love, but she became ruthless. When Tomas was invited back to Arendelle, Amelie was almost more excited than Tomas had been. When he asked her about it, Amelie waved away his concerns and masked them as encouragements. Finally, Tomas gave up on figuring out what she was doing, and just enjoyed his time with Elsa.

It was right after Tomas moved to Arendelle and his engagement to Elsa was announced when Amelie's letters began arriving less and less. Most of the time they only included talk of a partnership, and he grew tired of reading them. She didn't talk about anything else, and her interest in those kind of things surprised him. Only a few months after Tomas and Elsa were married, Tomas received one final letter from Amelie- she had married the younger Prince of Leighton, was dubbed Lady Amelie, and they were formally requesting a trade partnership with Arendelle.

Tomas learnt that Amelie didn't love the Prince at all- she just wanted to be a part of the royal family (she had always admired fancy balls and gowns and jewelry). She also had only wanted Tomas to marry Elsa so the Prince would want to marry _her_- as if giving him the partnership would be rewarded with marriage.

Amelie had passed off Tomas and Elsa's love as just a working relationship- no more than a reason for a partnership. Everyone in Leighton thought that was all it was, a simple excuse; thankfully, the people of Arendelle knew how much they loved each other, they knew it was a lie, but Elsa's reputation was still tarnished. She didn't have any real choice but to make Leighton a trade partner after all.

And then, years later, Leighton began asking Arendelle to merge into one kingdom. Tomas couldn't help feeling that it was Amelie's idea- maybe her husband that threatened divorce after going so long without any other ideas from her.

Amelie opened her mouth to say something else, but the loud creaking of the door opening shut them both up. Tomas eagerly looked over his shoulder hoping to see Elsa, but was disappointed to see only Kai with a tea tray.

"Kai, where's Elsa? Where are my kids?" He asked, and struggled to stand. Amelie didn't help, but maybe made it worse by clasping onto his shoulders like a little girl. Tomas almost collapsed under the sudden weight, and sifted onto his injured leg more than he would of liked, causing his bruises to flair in pain.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it?" Amelie said, her dark eyes once again trying to look innocent and forgetful. "Kai told me that it wasn't Elsa who caused the winter. It was Ina."

Tomas sucked in a breath and his hard, unconcerned expression he had worn the entire time speaking with Amelie slipped into one of shock and horror. It actually made his sister giggle, and it sounded out of place and awkward considering the situation.

"Oh! And your precious little daughter ran off afterwards. Didn't she Kai?" Amelie smirked at the old man, who was grasping the tray so tightly it looked as if it might bend under the pressure. "But that's not all. Your wife and her sister's family, Anna was it, went after her! Now isn't that just crazy?"

"_What_?" Tomas gasped, whirling to face her far faster than his injuries would have liked.

Amelie crossed her arms over her chest again, but looked rather like she was bragging instead of delivering such horrible news. "Your daughter ran away, and your wife went after her."

"I . . ." Tomas couldn't believe it. He had imagined that he'd return home, that Elsa would see he was fine and everything would be okay. He thought he'd sit around with his family and joke about the whole thing now that it had passed.

All those hopes fell away as soon as Amelie's words sunk in.

**So, 1: sorry about the long explanation about why Tomas doesn't like Amelie. I REALLY hope it makes sense. (Basically, Tomas loved Elsa and Amelie saw it as a perfect excuse to make Arendelle a trade partner, which would make the prince like her if she took credit for it…Tomas and Elsa's marriage, I mean). Not my favorite chapter, but it was a nice break from the Arendelle wilderness/ice castle.**

**2: I've picked and informed the concert winners, and I'll announce them soon**

**3: bye for now! **


	23. Arrival

It was only minutes later when they arrived at the ice palace, and it was only Cyril's firm grip on Sver's shoulder that prevented the young boy from running forward. They could see the ice, not as magnificent as the adults had remembered, only a few dozen feet away.

Elsa shoulders were tense, and the air around her was electric. All her emotions played across her features- anger, worry, stress, pain, sadness and even excitement. It was all there. Anna watched her sister carefully. She was afraid that the Queen would snap somehow- that the weight of everything would cause her to break into a million pieces. She didn't want to see her sister that way, but couldn't help feeling that it was unavoidable.

Olaf was about to step forward, onto the bridge, but Elise crouched and grabbed onto his snowy shoulders. She pulled him back, and unlike himself, he didn't say anything. Everyone seemed to stop walking. They didn't know what to do now. Anna glanced at Elsa- if anyone had the right to decide what to do, it would be her.

Sver started noticing how restrictive Cyril's hands were on his shoulders, and grunted weakly as he tried to fight off his brother's hands. "Let me go, Cy." He complained, turning to look up at his older sibling. Cyril didn't budge. He didn't want to risk the chance of Sver either a) running forward, tripping, and falling off the cliff; b) start climbing the stairs and falling off into the crevice below or c) entering the castle to face Ina alone.

Elsa starred up at the palace, sucked in a breath, and turned to smile at her family. "I just need a few minutes with her alone."

Tom opened his mouth to protest, but closed it. He knew arguing would be pointless, and Elsa probably had a better idea of what to say to Ina than the rest of them did. Anna laid her hand on the dark haired boy's shoulder, and they watched Elsa begin climbing the steps.

"Elsa?" Anna called. Her fingers curled a little as she spoke, and probably would have dug into Tom's arms if not for her gloves. The Queen turned back to look at her sister, and offered up another small smile.

"Yes?"

Anna grinned playfully at her sister. It was one of the first real smiles she'd shown the last few days. Anna took a gloved hand off of Tom, only for a moment, to point at the ice steps Elsa stood on. "Don't slip."

Elsa chuckled, and lifted her hand in a wave before she turned back to focus on the steps. Anna noticed her shoulders rise as she sucked in a breath, and how they returned to normal when she let it go. Then they watched as she took another step up the stairs, carefully avoiding the broken handrail on the right side.

"Be careful." Tom whispered.

Anna rested her chin on his shoulder beside one of her hands, the same way she did to her own children when she wanted to comfort them.

"She'll be fine." She muttered comfortingly.

Sadly, she didn't trust her own words.

* * *

><p>Elsa pushed the ice doors open and slipped inside. They closed firmly behind her with a heavy slam that echoed through the icy halls. Elsa kept her eyes on the door she had just passed through. She wanted to find her daughter- of course she did. But at the same time, she was afraid to do just that. She knew Ina had done something to the ice palace- everyone could see it. And the longer Elsa didn't see Ina, the longer she could deny that the princess had done this willingly.<p>

Elsa let out a sigh, and finally turned to face the castle. She could see the differences had affected the inside as well. The stairs, the fountain, the walls . . . even the ceiling had been affected. Elsa curled in on herself a little. _Oh, Ina_ . . .

Finally, Elsa made her feet move. She slid carefully towards the stairs. "Ina?" She called weakly, resting her hands on the arm rail. She turned her head both ways, trying to decide where she'd go. Finally, she decided up was the only option.

"Ina, I know you're here." Elsa called as she reached the landing. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you about your father right away. You deserved to know; I'm sorry. Please, Honey, I just want you to come home."

Elsa climbed the steps, noticing how odd the railing felt under her fingers. It wasn't as smooth as she remembered- it was more jagged. Rougher- dangerous. She pulled her hand back and clasped them both to her chest. "Ina? Sweetheart, please."

Elsa reached the landing, and paused to admire the castle once more. It was obvious now that it was tainted. The Queen's lips turned down in a frown. Perhaps she hadn't taken the best care with the palace, and perhaps she hadn't taken the best care with Ina. Elsa knew that she should have _tried_- tried to upkeep the palace, and connect more with Ina. But she mistreated them both without wanting to, and look what had happened.

"Mama." A voice called out, echoing off the glass-like walls and arches. Elsa whipped around, tucking a stray strand of hair back in place as she did, trying to find the source.

At first, Elsa didn't see her. All she saw was the odd mix of grey and black ice. She thought she had imagined the voice. Just her mind playing tricks on her, taunting her.

It was only when she looked around for the second time that she noticed the girl cloaked by clothing made of the same dirty black ice, standing at the top of another stair case. The same stair case Anna had chased Elsa up once, right before the Queen froze her sister's heart.

"Ina." Elsa breathed. Her blue eyes meet her daughter's black ones. She had never noticed how dark Ina's eyes really were. It was as if she only had large pupils; nothing until the whites of her eyes.

"Ina, what-" She barely caught herself from saying _what happened to you_. This girl wasn't her daughter. Ina had been a stubborn but lovely young girl- a child. She had liked frilly dresses, but never in pink, and always tugged on her hair when she was nervous. She had liked makeup, and experimented with it like a little girl would. She had been a rebellious teenager, determined to succeed and get her way but without the confidence to do it.

But the girl standing in front of her was not any of those things. She was not a child- she was a woman. Her back was straight as an arrow, and her head was held high. She let off waves of confidence, and her lips were draw tight with determination. She was a stranger. She was someone Elsa was sure she recognized, but was far too different to be sure.

And not only that, but this woman did not look like Ina. This girl looked like a tainted version of Elsa- she looked like the Elsa the Queen had feared of becoming. Her eyes, so dark, looked lifeless. Ice covered half her neck and cheekbone, and continued down her shoulder. It was covered partly by the translucent sleeves that stopped jaggedly at her elbows. Her gown of black and grey ice had the same jagged look to it at the bottom of the skirt, as well as along the slit down her leg.

"Hello, Mama." Ina said calmly, taking a step down the stairs. Elsa noted that her daughter remained barefoot. "Nice of you to drop by."

"Sweetheart," Elsa took a step forward as well, the sound of her shoes on the ice refracting off the walls. "We came to get you. We need you to come home. Please."

Elsa took another step, and Ina eyed her carefully. She looked uneasy, suddenly. Like if Elsa took a step too far, she'd bolt.

"Come back to Arendelle." Elsa whispered. Her voice was quiet, but strangely loud in the silent room.

Ina scoffed, and crossed her arms over her chest. As she did, her shattered ice cape was pulled forward, and Elsa couldn't help but stare at the cracked patterns decorating it. She didn't like it. She didn't like how broken Ina looked, and how comfortable she was in it.

"Why? So I can be ignored again? So I can be "sister-to-the-future-king?" No. I can't do it anymore." Ina shook her head, as if simply saying this was painful.

"No, Ina, don't think like that." Elsa urged, stepping forward again. Ina's eyes were no longer on her, but the Queen willed her daughter to look at her again. "We love you. We need you to come home. Please, Ina, we need you to-"

"-To thaw the fjord?" Ina interrupted, finally turning back to her mother. The temporary confusion and anger that had played across her features had been smoothed away, and once again she recovered to an emotionless appearance. Her dark eyes were empty.

Elsa, meanwhile, was shocked. "How . . . how did you know? I thought you-"

"You thought it was an accident." Ina finished. "You thought that I didn't mean to do it."

A bad feeling started creeping up through Elsa's chest. She took another step forward. ". . . Yes . . ." She said, hesitantly. "I thought- I mean, I know what you did was an accident." Despite everything, Elsa suddenly wasn't so sure. How would Ina have known, unless she had planned it?

_No_, Elsa shook her head. _No, Ina wouldn't have done that. Never_. "Baby, you don't have to be afraid. No one will be mad at you. When you come home and thaw everything, I _promise_, no one will think different of you. Everything will be the way it was." She reassured, weakly smiling at her daughter. They were still so far away. Elsa stepped up a few steps.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Ina burst suddenly. She looked as composed as always, but something was bubbling underneath the surface. Something Elsa couldn't place. The Queen blinked, but when she opened her mouth to speak, Ina cut her off. "I don't want things to be the way they were. I _hated_ the way things were."

Ina rested both hands on the arm rail, grasping them tightly. Frost shot from her fingers and spread up and down the railing. "Before, I was just the sister with no chance. I hated it- I still do. But now . . . I . . ." She shook her head, changing courses. The ice neared Elsa in a matter of seconds, and she recoiled at the sight of the sharp ice crystals that grew. "I can't go back. I can't pretend like nothing happened, and spend my whole life being tossed down the royal line."

"Ina-"

"No." The girl suddenly barked, her eyes flaring. "I'm not going back."

The bad feeling swarmed up in Elsa's chest again, and she staggered backwards. She didn't like it. She didn't like the way Ina was talking, and acting, and lashing out. Ina had always been a difficult child, but this . . . this was something else.

"Ina," Elsa's voice was defensive. "Sweetheart, calm down. Let's just think things through."

Those black eyes once again met Elsa's blue, and Ina's face was emotionless. Empty. "I _have _thought things through, Mama."

She turned away, preparing to walk back up the stairs. Elsa didn't even have a chance to start chasing after her when she paused. "Oh," The fairer haired girl said, almost brightly. She turned, and Elsa's stomach dropped as soon as she saw the grin cross Ina's face. "By the way, I _meant _to freeze the fjord."

***awkward cough* So, um…hi guys? It's been a few weeks. I've had this sitting on my computer for a long time, but I was trying to get the prank war chapters for AA done- but I forgot the idea I had planned for them so put off writing them :/ and instead finally sat down and wrote the rest of this chapter. Did that make any sense? I'll pretend it did.**

**So…Elsa and Ina finally have a chance to "chat." Which will be continued in the next chapter. And I PROMISE I'll write again soon. At least, sooner than last time. Okay- yeah. Bye for now. (PS: did I announced the contest winners here yet…?)**


	24. Realizations

"I'm going after them." Tomas mumbled, awkwardly trying to get his jacket over his shoulder. Kai followed him around the room worriedly, though Amelie had seated herself as though bored with her brother's predicament. She was flipping through a book and occasionally sipping her tea.

"Lord Tomas," Kai said desperately. "Please, sit down. There is no need to go chasing after them. You are in no shape for it, and to be fair, I believe Queen Elsa can handle herself quite well." He clasped and unclasped his hands before reaching for the jacket, trying to pry it off Tomas's shoulders.

The younger man just shook him off, but he laughed weakly at Kai's comment. "I _know_ Elsa can take care of herself. But Ina? And Tom?" He shook his head.

"Please, my Lord, let me at least explain what had happened." Kai begged. Tomas paused- his jacket still half falling off. It would be quite foolish of him to go running into the wilderness with no real knowledge of what was going on. He turned back towards Kai, and the older man visibly relaxed. He took Tomas's arm and guided him to one of the library sofas.

"I know it isn't my place," Kai mumbled as they walked. "But I thought you said you had no former family. And how is it that you ended up in Leighton?"

Tomas sighed as he sat down, rubbing his neck as he sunk into the little-support sofa. "Well, to simply put it: I don't consider Amelie my family anymore." He glanced at Kai, before dropping his dark eyes to the floor. He sucked in a long, slow breath- like he was preparing for a long, slow speech. "When I met Elsa, when I fell in love, Amelie saw it as an opportunity to please the Princes of Leighton. She told them I was only marrying Elsa to solidify the partnership- and she told the Princes it was her idea. In exchange for her "great planning," The younger Prince, Terrance," Tomas's noise scrunched up at his name. "married Amelie. She used my marriage to Elsa as an excuse to be a part of the Leighton royal family. If she really were _my _family, she'd never betray my trust like that. So she's not my family."

Amelie had glanced up, as Tomas hadn't at all tried to be quiet. She didn't look insulted or guilty, the way Kai would have guessed she would, but instead disinterested. After a moment she scoffed; turning back to her book.

"But, um . . ." Tomas shook his head, steering the conversation away from Amelie. "I woke up in Leighton, but I was informed that I had been pulled from the water half dead by a ship heading towards it. I was out cold for a while- a little more than a day, I think." He cleared his throat and straightened his back a little, carefully rearranging his sling to a more comfortable position. "Now, please. What happened to Ina? To Elsa- to Arendelle?"

Kai sat down on the sofa across from Tomas. "Well," He began, clearing his throat. "After you fell overboard and your family returned to Arendelle, everyone assumed you were dead." Tomas shifted, uncomfortable suddenly. He hated to hear they thought of him being dead.

"Your Elsa was torn up about it- as was Prince Tom. Ina wasn't informed as soon as the others, but when she was . . . well, she didn't take it well, your Majesty. She froze the fjord, and the winter started . . . and, um, she ran. The Queen, Master Kristoff, and Princess Anna went after her first. Then Prince Cyril left, and Princess Elise almost right after. Prince Tom and Sver followed everyone afterwards"

"Wait a minute," Tomas suddenly stood, much faster than expected for an injured man. "Are you telling me that none of the kids are_ together_?"

"Well, your son is with young Sver-"

"No- _none of them are with the adults_!?" Tomas yelled, suddenly angry. "_And you let them go_!?" A few servants walking past the library paused, easily hearing the argument inside. "Kai, why would you let them go?"

"I-I didn't have a chance, your majesty-"

"I have to go after them." Tom interrupted, once again reverting back to his original train of thought. As he turned to find his discarded jacket (which had fallen off as they walked to the sofas) he caught Amelie's eye. She was once again looking at them, appearing almost giddy- obviously excited with how their conversation had turned.

"Sir- please, sir, you can't go after them!" Kai called after him.

"Why not?" Tomas snapped back, wincing as he bent to pick up his jacket. He was fuming.

"Sir- sir, please, I am completely confident that they can handle themselves out there." He was once again grasping Tomas's arm, ready to physically refrain him from leaving. "and- and if you leave, I can guaranty Lady Amelie will take care of Arendelle is your absence." The last sentence came out in a rush, and though the words seemed innocent: they froze Tomas to the spot.

He couldn't let Amelie be in charge of Arendelle. He wouldn't even let her be in charge of a sandcastle if he had a say. But he couldn't stay here while his family was out there . . . somewhere . . .

"Sir, I'll send _anyone_ out there in your place if you'll stay here." Kai pleaded; his old eyes on the brink of giving up.

A part of Tomas knew he wouldn't be able to go. He knew that something would stop him, no matter how much he wanted to leave. He needed to find Elsa, but at the same time, he knew she'd be fine. She could easily brave the storm. Ina too. He wasn't so sure about Tom, but his son was strong. He could take care of himself.

Tomas sighed, suddenly exhausted and suddenly calm. "You'll send anyone?"

"Yes. Yes sure." Kai gushed, laughing weakly, relieved.

Tomas chewed on his lip, the salty taste of blood falling onto his tongue as the result. "I need you to find a man named Alek." Tomas silently wished he could send his sister, with hopes that'd she'd get lost and never return, "He's staying in one of the village homes- knock on every door if you have to."

"Of course, sir. Thank you." Kai bowed his head quickly, retrieved Tomas's jacket from the younger man's arm, and fled from the room. He couldn't be happier with the outcome- the only remaining member of the royal family would stay safe at home. Amelie, though, looked suddenly upset.

"You have to go!" She whined, rising to her feet. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she stood, and for a moment, Tomas could see her curls reflected in Ina's. He hated the thought of his old family showing in his own children at all.

"Amelie," Tomas hissed. "You are no longer welcome here in Arendelle- you never were. I'd like you to climb right back on that ship and return to Leighton. _Right now_." He pointed a finger at her as if it were an accusation.

Amelie blinked, surprised. Her brother, no matter how cold he acted, had never spoken to her like that. It took her only a few moments to recover, when she then smirked.

"But baby brother," She started innocently. "If you kick me out, I doubt the King of Leighton- _my brother-in-law_- will be happy. In fact, I believe he'll take it as Arendelle calling off the trade partnership."

Amelie crossed her arms over her chest, holding back giggles. Tomas recoiled. He didn't like the way she was talking, acting. She sounded . . . well, like something he couldn't quite place. All he knew was that he didn't like it.

"And I'm sure you know by now, Tommy," She used his nickname with the pure purpose to annoy him. "but Leighton wants Arendelle to form into one kingdom. If the partnership is called off, if you or your precious Elsa anger the King, he won't hesitate to take it by force."

Tomas stilled, her words finally dawning on him.

"Do you understand, Tomas?" She laughed, her voice sounding like a spoiled child once again getting her way.

He would have slapped her if her could. But he knew what she was saying, loud and clear. If they ticked off Amelie, she'd tell the King of Leighton Arendelle wants to end the trade partnership- then they'd take over Arendelle using force. They'd start a war.

Arendelle would be completely at Amelie's control even if the royal family didn't leave.

* * *

><p>"Ina," Elsa breathed, that uneasy feeling in her chest tripling and spreading throughout her body. Her mind was spinning. The words, <em>I meant to freeze the fjord<em>, kept repeating through her head. They made her feel sick, nauseous, and admittedly; terrified.

Ina just turned and began walking up the stairs again, not waiting for Elsa to say anything else. Her bare toes slapped against the floor, making a light patter with each step. Blood pumped through Elsa's ears, too loud for her to hear anything else though.

_I meant to freeze the fjord_.

_I meant to freeze the fjord_.

For a moment, Elsa was sure she was going to vomit.

"Ina!" Elsa croaked, sucking in a loud shaky breath. "Ina, stop!" She finally connected her brain back to her limbs, and forced herself to climb the stairs. She forced herself to speed forward. She forced herself to run, to ignore the sound of ice doors opening, and her family calling her name. She forced herself to block everything out except for her daughter walking away from her.

_I meant to freeze the fjord_.

"Elsa!" Anna called, her voice refracting off each icy beam. The Queen grunted and pushed forward, ignoring her sister's yells. She needed to focus on another princess right now. Elsa watched as Ina disappeared around a corner, and quickly followed her.

"I know you don't mean that." She huffed, referring to the fjord. She stopped to catch her breath, her fingers frosting up an ice panel as she did. She finally let her eyes wander up to where her daughter stood. She sucked in a startled breath, holding in a cry.

The room was covered in shattered fractals- so much that the room _itself _seemed completely shattered. Somewhere in Elsa's memory, she remembered a chandelier coming down to crush her, but nothing afterwards. Nothing until she awoke in a dirty cell. She could easily imagine the remains of that chandelier, and knew that this was what it was. Or at least: partly. She knew that the spikes growing and pointed in random directions belonged entirely to Ina.

Ina laughed, putting her hands on her hips. She turned once more, right in the middle of the mess of ice. "I'm sure you-"

"Elsa, Ina- hold on!" A voice called behind them. Both white haired women turned their eyes to the source of the voice- Anna. She was panting from the run- one hand on her chest- her lungs- and one hand on her stomach. Elsa could hear the sound of footfalls on the stairs, and more voices calling out.

Anna lifted her eyes, which had been on the shattered floor while she caught her breath, and turned them on Ina. She tried to hide her shock at the young girl's appearance. "Ina you look . . . different."

Elsa could have laughed if not for the feeling of her stomach doing flips. That was the exact same thing Anna had said to Elsa when she first saw her after her transformation.

"I can't say the same for either of you." Ina grumbled, moving her arms from her hips to cross over her chest. Her silver curls fell over her shoulders, and her iced over crown sparkled as a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds. Anna and Elsa's eyes swung to it at the same time.

Anna lifted a gloved hand off her stomach to point. "Is that-?"

"-my crown?" Elsa finished, stepping forward. As if just noticing it, Ina glanced upwards, her hand flying to the delicate piece.

"Oh." She said, sounding cheerful as a little girl. "No. It's mine."

"Why do you have it?" Anna whispered, narrowing her eyes.

Before Ina could answer, more bodies tumbled through the entry way. All the women's eyes flicked to the recent entries- Kristoff and Cyril. Elsa could see a splash of lavender through the ice and knew Elise would enter soon as well.

Both blond men gazed at the ice, amazed. Kristoff was the first to turn his attention to Ina, but when Cyril did, he stepped back into a defensive pose. "Ina." He said, his voice hard and emotionless. She barely glanced at him, but instead clapped her hands loudly and let out a peal of laughter.

"Everyone's here!" She cheered with fake enthusiasm. "Except, of course, the future King. And the baby of the family, oh!" She put the back of her hand to her forehead and leaned back, as if she'd faint at the thought. No one, except Kristoff, noticed Anna blush at the word "baby." No one decided to mention to Ina that Anna had made Tom and Sver wait outside.

Elise leaned around the entryway- the only way she was allowed to come inside was if she didn't stay behind her father. Ina noticed her though, and her face brightened.

"Lease!" She held her arms out, as if expecting a hug. "I'm glad to see you! I didn't think you'd actually have the guts to come out here." Elise's cheeks reddened and she shrunk in a little. Ina had always had more confidence than Elise, but she didn't like how she was talking as if everyone else wasn't there.

"I never thanked you for telling me about my Papa." Ina continued, dropping her arms. Elsa gasped, a quiet intake of breath. "So thank you. You were the only one you thought I should know."

Elise felt her mother's eyes slid over her, as if this was the first time she was hearing this. Elsa could see the fourteen-year-old shrink even more, and she felt a stab of sympathy for the girl. But at the same time, she couldn't help but focus on Ina.

"Hon," She said lightly, stepping forward with her hands held up defensively. "Please, Ina, come home. I know you didn't mean any of this. You can explain everything when we get home. I know you're upset about your father- I am too. But, Ina, just listen to me-"

"Elsa," Ina said, her voice holding an emotion the Queen couldn't place. Everyone froze. No matter how upset her kids had been with her, none of them had called her anything but Mama. The same for Anna. Ina continued, not noticing the shock the others were reflecting on their faces. "I'm not going back to Arendelle with you. I'm not the princess anymore."

Cyril was the one to response. "Of _course_ you are, you're-"

Ina rolled her eyes as he spoke. No know could know what she was thinking. Only she knew the annoyance she felt for her old family. All of them only thought of her as a princess- a cousin or a sister or daughter or niece. She was nothing but a family member to be forgotten. Well no more.

She thrust her hands in front of her, her powers shooting out in an instant. Kristoff grabbed onto Anna's shoulders, forcing her backwards, while Cyril shoved Elise out of the room once again. Ina's magic hit the floor and bounced up, taking the shape of large, sharp spikes pointing at her family. Only Elsa remained on the other side- no ice blocking herself from her daughter.

But Ina had never looked more like a stranger than that moment when she smiled at her handiwork, and smirked at the Queen.

"I'm not a princess anymore." Ina said again, and Elsa finally let her fear completely bubble up and take over her. "I'm a Snow Queen."

**I wanted to end this differently but this chapter was getting a little lengthy and I didn't want to cut everything. There is a part I am REALLY excited to write so- eep! And Amelie: even though I'm the one writing her, I don't like her. I guess that was the point though, haha. Okay. Bye.**


	25. Hectic

The family had little time to recover from the shock of Ina's powers before Elsa was speaking again, something like a plead bleeding into her voice.

"N-no," She stuttered, falling away from her daughter and nearly tripping over a shattered ice shard. "Stop saying that. You're not a Queen, you're my-"

"Your what?" Ina interrupted, crossing her pale arms over her chest, once again annoyed. "Your daughter? Your princess? No. I don't want to be those things anymore- I _never _did."

"Stop, Ina, You're acting like a little kid." Cyril piped up, half stepping so he was closer to Ina, and could block Elise from her view. Ina turned her dark eyes on him for a moment, before letting them skim back to her mother, ignoring him.

"You know," She started, lifting a finger to point at Elsa. "You always knew that I wanted to be Queen. But you never stopped to ask me why, or try to help me. You never cared about what I wanted. You still don't."

"Of course I do," Elsa denied, stepping forward and resting her hand on Ina's arm. The young girl jerked away, just far enough so her skin no longer made contact with Elsa's. The Queen tried not to look offended, but instead continued on. "Ina, I've always wanted you to be happy. But . . . but becoming a Snow Queen _won't_ change anything. It won't make you happy. Please, Snowflake, just come home." Elsa let her hand hover over Ina's for a moment before the image of her recoiling presented itself again. Then she let it drop.

"That's where you're wrong," Ina shot back, something unfamiliar lingering in her voice. "It's changed _everything_. I've never been happier in my entire life. _This_-" she gestured to herself, "-is the real me. _This_ makes me happy. I'm never going back to the way I was. _Ever_."

Elsa fumbled for a moment, trying to think of something else to say, while Anna clasped onto Kristoff's arm. He looked down at her and she hurriedly began whispering to him.

"Kristoff, I have a bad feeling. I want the kids to go." After a moment, she added, "_now_."

Kristoff watched her fearful expression for a moment, and it unnerved him. But finally he nodded, and turned to grab Cyril's elbow.

Elsa, meanwhile, had tried once again to convince Ina to come home. "Ina, I know how hard your father's death had been- it was hard on me too. But we can work all this out at home- we can talk, we can-"

"I don't want to talk!" Ina yelped, sounding like a whining child. Elsa, startled, paused. It gave Ina enough time to advance. "You just don't understand, do you? I'm not "little princess Ina" anymore. She's _long _gone, dead and buried somewhere along the way here! Your daughter- _your princess_- doesn't exist anymore. Only you're _dear_ Snow Queen Elsa."

When Ina had first said "Snow Queen Elsa," Elsa had thought the young girl had been referring to herself. It took her a few moments before it sunk in that Ina meant _her_self. Elsa the Second- a name she seemed to always have distasted for, but now welcomed.

"Cy, take Elise and get out of here." Kristoff hissed in his oldest son's ear. The younger man turned to him, as did Elise, but neither moved to leave. Anna watched them, willing them to exit, trying to focus on Ina and Elsa at the same time. But Ina didn't pay her any mind- and neither did Elsa. Their eyes were only locked on each other.

Anna stepped around the spikes- they were almost up to her shoulders- and walked slowly, cautiously, towards her sister. She felt Kristoff's gloved hand try and wrap around her upper arm, but she had moved to far so he wasn't able to get a good a good grip, and she continued forward. "Elsa," She said slowly, carefully, in a way one might use to an animal that was about to run. "I think we should go."

For the first time since the spikes, Elsa turned towards her sister. But only for a second. "No," She replied, sternly, stunning Anna to stillness. Then she turned back to her daughter. "I'm not leaving without Ina."

"I told you already," The younger blond said, her voice slipping from behind a clenched jaw. "It's not Ina- it's Queen Elsa."

"_I _am Queen Elsa!" Elsa replied, her voice taking on something close to a laugh. "_You_ are my daughter! _Princess_ "Ina," Elsa- not a _Queen_! And especially not a _Snow_ Queen!"

"Elsa." Anna stepped towards her again, her hands already out to reach for her sister. Elsa didn't go towards her, but she didn't try to stop her again.

"Come home, Ina." Elsa begged. "Please."

Dark, empty eyes looked Elsa up and down. Elsa had noticed only minutes before- could it really have been only minutes?- how dark Ina's eyes were. Only how empty they were could shock her more.

Ina opened her mouth to argue once again, but she suddenly stopped after a small laugh started bouncing off the icy walls- echoing. The sound of a second voice shushing the first sounded next. Anna and Kristoff both stilled, and their gazes met each other's.

"No." Elsa groaned, whipping around to face the entrance as the two boys entered.

Tom's dark curls were freed from his hat, which was clamped tightly in his fist. Sver was clinging to Tom's back, his arms wrapped in a chokehold around the older boy's neck. A piggyback ride. The boys' eyes were filled with amazement until they landed on the ice spikes and their parents' terrified expressions.

"Tom-" Elsa stepped towards her boy, before catching herself and remaining put.

"We told you to wait outside." Anna reminded; her voice tense. Her fingers tightened on Elsa's arm, making the older woman wince.

"I . . . I'm sorry," Tom stuttered, straightening his back and forcing Sver to release his neck. "I needed to talk to her, and I didn't want to leave Sev outside-"

"Everyone needs to talk me, hmm?" Ina cut him off, stepping towards her brother. She looked him up and down, one eyebrow raised. "Hello, baby brother."

He straightened his spine even more, tightening his fingers into fists. He took a deep breath as he took in Ina's new appearance for the first time. "Hello, big sister."

"Tom, take Sver and go outside." Elsa demanded, pointing at the door.

"No," Anna argued. She glanced down at her son, and then her nephew. Finally, she let her blue eyes slide to Cyril's. "Cy, stand with them."

The older boy nodded, and complied. Sver tilted to look at him. "Hi." He said lightly. Cyril all but ignored him.

"Ina, come home." Tom exclaimed bluntly. He brushed a few stray curls out of his eyes after he said this, waiting for a respond he knew would come. What she said wasn't what he expected.

"I'm not Ina anymore." She stated calmly, if not a little annoyed.

Confused, Sver piped up innocently: "What does that mean?"

Elise moved from behind Cyril so she could rest her hand on Sver's head and shush him. His brown eyes met her own, and he frowned, but stayed silent. Ina watched them, though Tom was still talking to her.

"What _does_ that mean?" He asked, though Ina shook her head. She was tired of explaining herself.

"Lease?" She sighed instead. "Would you come here, please?"

Anna and Kristoff's eyes both flew to Elise, whom blinked in surprise. Cyril stiffened, and though he shook his head, Elise stepped towards Ina anyway.

"Alright . . ." She said captiously. In all honesty, she was too afraid to really deny her cousin. She slipped around the spikes, which still separated the other kids from the adults, and moved, towards her cousin. Ina met Elise halfway and looped her arm through the younger princess's.

Ina looked back at Tom, finally, and smiled sweetly. "It means," She proceeded to answer his question. "That your sister is gone. Long gone. All that's left of her is me; your Snow Queen." She didn't give him any time to process it before nodding towards Elise. "and her Right Hand, Princess Elise."

Anna and Elsa both staggered back in surprise at the same time. "No!" They gasped, Anna in shock and Elsa in anger. Anna, because she couldn't never see Elise helping Ina like that, and Elsa because she hated Ina was involving Elise like that.

Elise shook her head, her short braids swishing around her face. She tried to pull away from her frightening cousin, but to no avail. "Ina, I-"

"Elise won't help you." Elsa argued.

"I won't _let _her help you." Anna added.

Elsa looked out of the corner of her eye and noticed that Sver was no longer with her son and Cyril. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, as she was once again distracted by Ina.

" "Won't let her help me?" You're making me sound like a bad guy, Auntie." Ina laughed, though her tone was laced with seriousness. Elise tried to free her arm from Ina's, and the older girl finally freed her. Despite the sudden release, Elise stayed put.

"Only because you're acting like one." Anna responded, placing her hands on her hips.

Ina let out another loud peal of laughter, bumping her hip against the surprised Elise as if they were old friends sharing a good joke. "That's funny!" She noted after a moment, and tilted her chin so they could clearly see her entertained expression.

"No it's not." Kristoff countered, reached for Anna's hand.

Ina shrugged. "To me it is."

"Well not to us." Tom added, breaking his temporary silence. "Stop treating all this like a game, Ina. It's not."

"Oh, but it's so fun." She sneered.

"Stop doing that!" Elsa snapped. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What's happened to Arendelle, to the fjord? Do you even care? What would your father think?"

Ina sucked in a breath, and the humor drained out of her. "Don't bring him into this." She whispered.

But Elsa ignored her protest and plowed on. "He'd be disappointed in you- you have to know that. He'd hate what you're doing and want you to fix it. He'd want you to change."

"No." Ina whispered, shaking her head. Elise noticed Sver's absence as well, but thought that it wasn't an appropriate time to bring it up.

"I know I'm disappointed." Elsa continued. "I know how your father thought; I know he'd never approve of what you're doing. He'd want you to stop it. He'd-"

"_Stop it_." Ina groaned.

"-He'd completely hate what you've become! He wouldn't see you as his daughter anymore," After a moment, Elsa added: "But it seems like that's what you want, isn't it?"

It all happened so fast. Ina let out a frustrated cry and whipped back to face her mother, a blast of ice coming with her. The magic shot towards her parents, all her anger forced into it.

Elsa and Anna didn't have time to react before Kristoff was screaming for them to get down. It couldn't even have been a full second later before he was jumping through the air, his arms circling around Anna's waist. They both fell, and toppled over Elsa, taking her down as well.

The force of Kristoff hitting her knocked the wind out of Elsa's chest, but she sucked it back in with a gasp as her skull made contact with the icy floor. She could hear Ina's power collide with something, perhaps the wall, and fall back to the floor, though she couldn't see it.

The sound was deafening. Ina's magic seemed to make a horrible, indescribable noise- like shattering glass or a strong winter wind. It caused Elsa's ears to ring, but it was only worse a moment later when the large crash sounded as well.

Someone groaned- had it come from Anna or Elsa herself? The Queen wasn't sure, but of course, she wasn't sure of anything as her head spun. Pain was radiating from where her head had made contact with the floor, but she tried to ignore the pain as she shoved Anna off her, and held herself up on her elbows.

The only thing that pierced Elsa's hazy mind at first was Ina's satisfied laugh. She couldn't possibly be happy with what she had done- could she? Elsa was sure that she could hear Elise as well, saying something, but she couldn't figure out what.

Elsa though she heard someone call her name- maybe Tom? She could see him out of the corner of her eye, his face twisted into one of panic.

"Are you alright?" Kristoff was asking Anna, his hands tight on Anna's upper arms. He glanced at Elsa as well, raising his eyebrows to indicate the question was for her as well. They both nodded.

"I'm fine." Anna coughed, and waved her husband away.

"And . . ." Kristoff paused before lowering his voice. "and the baby?"

Elsa must have been hallucinating- she wouldn't be surprised. What with Ina's announcement and sudden power outburst, Elsa would expect to go insane eventually. But she must have hit her head a lot harder than she thought, because she was _sure _Kristoff had said-

"The baby's _fine_." Anna snapped, dusting off her skirt.

Baby?

"You're pregnant?" Cyril asked, too surprised by his mother's statement to keep his focus on the problem at hand. To be honest, everyone's minds slipped from Ina to Anna. Slightly irritated by the "attack" from her husband, Anna just nodded.

"Wow, Anna." Ina crossed her arms over her chest, her voice oddly playful. "I thought you were too old for that."

"That's not important right now-"

Elise's scream suddenly pierced the air, shocking everyone back to the current situation.

"_Sver_!" The princess cried, pointing a mitten-clad hand at the wall. More specifically, where the wall and floor met, where Ina's powers had crashed. Where a large ice sheet, sharp and spikey and shattered, laid- with a small figure trapped underneath.

"Oh my god." Cyril whispered. He covered his gaping mouth for a moment, stunned.

_Everyone_ was stunned.

"Sver!" Anna cried, struggling to her feet. Elsa held her breath, her stomach rolling as she watched her sister run to the broken heap of boy that was crumbled against the wall. Elsa couldn't see his face as he was turned away from her, but the limbs that weren't blocked from Elsa's view by the ice were sprawled out like a ragdoll's.

Anna collapsed beside her son, pushing the large ice sheet off of his limp body. "Sev . . ." She gasped, pulling him into her lap. "Sev, baby boy, wake up." Anna's voice wavered, and her fingers were trembling.

_Go to her_, Elsa thought. She tried to make her limbs obey, but they wouldn't. All she could manage was rising to her feet, but little else. She could do nothing but watch as Kristoff rushed over to his wife and youngest child. _He won't be the youngest for long . ._ .

Silly as it was, with her hazy mind, Elsa didn't realize the danger of the situation her nephew was in. All she could focus on was the fact that her sister was having another baby. And she didn't tell Elsa, she just kept it a secret.

"You're having a baby." Elsa said carefully, as if testing the words.

Elsa heard Ina scoff somewhere behind her, but her eyes were locked on Anna's own- they were horror filled.

"We have to get him back to Arendelle," She decided, her voice pleading. She ignored Elsa's statement, focusing only on her injured son. "Elsa, please, we have to go!"

The gears in Elsa's mind started turning, her sense slowly returning to her, and with it, the assumption of what had happened: Ina had tried to hit Elsa with her powers. Kristoff had protected them both, knocking them out of the way, but unknowingly putting Sver in its path at the same time. The memory of the young boy disappearing momentarily earlier sprung up- he must have gone to stand with his parents without any of the adults knowing.

"No . . ." Elsa gasped, stumbling backwards for a moment. Her eyes flew to her daughter's. Ina was smiling. A sick, twisted smile that seemed hauntingly childish. Her daughter, her lovely young daughter, had hurt her cousin.

Elsa's stomach rolled again, and she feared she'd vomit from the shock.

"We have to go." Kristoff whispered, reaching to take Sver from Anna's arms. Her eyes flew to his own, panicked, before she pulled the little boy closer to her chest. She looked so young, so scared, as she rose to her feet, struggling to support her unconscious son's weight.

Elise tried to step around her cousin, rushing forward towards her mother. "Mama-"

"Don't." Ina warned, thrusting her arm out in front of the younger princess. Elise stilled instantly, but her eyes stayed locked on her parents. Her worry was quickly escalating towards fear. Elsa noticed, and hated how Ina was acting. She wasn't acting like the Ina she knew at all.

"We have to go." Elsa agreed finally, taking a step farther from her daughter. Ina watched, always preventing Elise from leaving. "Elise," Elsa mumbled, trying to force her voice to a calmer tone. "Come on, we have to get Sver back to-"

"She's not leaving." Ina interrupted, placing a hand on Elise's arm to prove her point. The younger girl's eyes flew to Ina's in a panic. She opened her mouth to argue, but Cyril's voice cut her off. Silently, she noted that Tom was no longer in the room- he must have left.

"We're leaving, and we're taking Elle with us." He pointed his chin at his sister as he said this. "C'mon, Elle."

"I-" Elise began, but then she stopped herself. What could she do?

"Ina, _please_." Tom begged, his focus flying from Sver to his sister to Elise and then back to his mother.

"We have to _go_!" Anna screamed, and Cyril finally realized the depth of the terror in his mother's eyes. He gazed down at his brother, injured. His eyes flew to Elise's then, and she somehow looked defeated. They had to pick between his siblings, and he knew who they had picked.

"We'll come back for you." Kristoff promised, his voice filled with regret as he hurried Anna and Sver from the room. Elise nodded, her shoulders slumping forward, while Ina only looked triumphant.

Elsa watched as her family quickly fled, their attention locking onto Sver's health. She remained a moment after, so it was only her and the two princesses left.

"Ina," The Queen said slowly. "please. I still need you to come home. I know you'll do the right thing."

Elsa couldn't help feeling like she was wrong. But what choice did she have? All she could do was trust her daughter. It was all she could rely on.

Elsa slipped out of the room, the sound of Elise calling her name and Ina's laughter trailing after them.

**Haha *hopes you all won't kill me because I said I'd update sooner but didn't* so, hi! Sorry for the long, er, hiatus. It was simply because of laziness, in all honesty. And this chapter was pretty hectic- I think because there were too many people in one scene. It'll calm down a bit later, I promise. But it was a long chapter. If anything was a bit confusing, message me and I'll explain it. I'll probably explain everything in better words in the next chapter anyway. I didn't like how this chapter turned out, honestly. Maybe, one day, I'll fix it. I don't know. **

**I'll hopefully update sooner, but things are getting busy so…HOPEFULLY. I don't know…**


	26. Heading Home

"I can't believe we just _left _them." Cyril yelped, probably for the hundredth time. Tom nodded, not really listening anymore. No one really was.

Anna's arms were starting to give under Sver's weight, but she wouldn't pass him over to Kristoff. When he had tried to physically remove the boy from her arms, she had cried out, so he let her be.

The events of what had happened echoed through everyone's minds. Ina declaring herself as a Snow Queen, and Elise as her right hand; the ice that was aimed at Elsa; Sver's injury . . . Anna held her son a little closer as the last image passed through her head.

Olaf had decided to stay at the castle. It was a quick decision that the friendly snowman made all on his own. It was the only way Elise wouldn't_ completely _be alone- even though he'd be hiding outside. It would hopefully be a small comfort to Elise if she found out he was with her.

". . . 'Hurts . . ." a small voice whimpered, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. They all turned towards Anna, though their eyes zeroed in on Sver.

"Sev," Kristoff breathed in relief, wrapping an arm around Anna's shoulders so he could look down at his son. "Sver, buddy, you're going to be-"

"It hurts . . ." The prince whispered again, clamping his brown eyes tightly shut. Had he ever opened them? His fists were clenched tightly- a habit he did to suppress pain.

Anna made a desperate noise in the back of her throat. "Sweetie, please be okay." Her voice wavered. She didn't even bother trying to hide the fear that crept into her voice. "Please, Sev, please be okay."

She wasn't sure if he heard her- his face and hands instantly relaxed as he fell back into unconsciousness.

Anna let out a single sob, and finally passed Sver over to Kristoff. The blond man securely shifted Sver to one arm, supporting the boy's head against Kristoff's shoulder, and wrapped his other arm around Anna.

Elsa felt strangely empty watching them. Anna and Kristoff would do anything to protect their children- they've made mistakes, of course- but so did everyone. Anna and Kristoff protected their family- something Elsa failed repeatedly to do. Anna had carried Sver as far as her heart would let her; she'd protected him. Hadn't Kristoff just saved both Anna and Elsa from Ina's power? They protected. Elsa couldn't. She hadn't been able to save Tomas. She was losing Ina faster than she ever thought possible. It had been her that provoked her daughter- she'd put her entire family in danger.

She slid her tired eyes to Tom, who trudged slowly behind Cyril. If they couldn't save Ina, he'd be the only thing she had left. Would she be good enough for him? Could she protect him- be the mother he needed? Elsa wasn't sure she could be- obviously she hadn't done a well enough job with Ina.

She shook the thoughts away. She had no time to question her motherhood- they had way to many problems as it was. Which one to address first, though, was the question.

"I think we should go to the trolls." Cyril burst out suddenly. Everyone paused to look at him, confusion in their eyes.

"Do you think they can help him?" Anna asked, her voice filled with a sudden hope, despite still being mixed with fear and mourn. She leaned away from Kristoff, slightly, expecting Cyril's answer.

The young man's shoulders slumped. "No."

Anna sighed in defeat and slid back to Kristoff, who hugged her with his one arm, tightening his hold on Sver with his other.

"But," Cyril continued. "maybe they can tell us more about what happened. You know, about what he predicted about Ina. Pop here didn't exactly prod him for details when he was told the first time." Cyril nodded his head at his father, who grimaced.

"We need to get Sver home first." Anna reminded, glancing down at her youngest son.

"I'll go alone, then." Cyril offered, shrugging his shoulders like it was the most obvious solution.

"No-" The adults argued simultaneously, before their voices were cut off.

"I'll go with him." Tom muttered, lifting his head weakly.

"Absolutely not." Elsa countered, hardening her glare when it landed on her son. If she were going to be a parent Tom deserved, she'd have to keep him safe. And that meant not letting him wander in the wilderness almost alone- _again_.

Tom gave her a reassuring look. "You three need to go home. Uncle Kristoff needs to carry Sver, Auntie Anna's not going to_ leave_ Sver, and you're not going to leave Auntie Anna. Cyril and I will be fine on our own." He lifted his chin with a little more confidence. "Besides," He added. "I feel like I need to hear what Grand Pabba knows."

Everyone was silent. He was right, after all. After a moment, Cyril stepped closer to Tom and whispered: "It's Grand _Pabbie_."

"Right."

Elsa bit her lip. She trusted Cy. He'd keep Tom safe- maybe more than she would right now. She turned her eyes back to Sver's limp form- his feet dangled lifelessly over Kristoff's arm. They didn't have time to argue.

"Fine." She muttered weakly, already beginning to walk again. "We'll head back to Arendelle, while you two go to the trolls. Once we get Sver home, Kristoff and I will go back out to get Elise and talk to Ina. You two will come straight home after speaking to the trolls, and you'll stay there. Am I understood?"

Cyril and Tom both nodded. Elsa expected Anna to put up an argument, but didn't. The Queen stepped forward and planted a cold kiss on Tom's forehead.

"Stay safe." She urged, squeezing his shoulders. He gave her a closed-mouth smile, and nodded again.

"I will."

"I expect you home by sunrise tomorrow." Anna reminded, wrapping her arms around Cyril quickly. He gave her a grin that seemed out of place, considering the circumstances.

"Yes ma'am."

Kristoff patted Cyril's shoulder, and the two boys disappeared into the trees to begin making their way to the Valley of the Living Rock. The adults didn't stare after them or pause- they started walking again as soon as they could, perhaps walking even faster.

Now, there was only one thing on their minds: getting Sver home.

* * *

><p>Elise's heart hammered within her chest, forcing blood through her veins and creating a loud pulse in her ears. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared- not that anyone was asking.<p>

As her family left, Elise made herself hoarse screaming her family's names. She was afraid to race after them, in case Ina snapped again. Seeing her baby brother crumpled against the floor scarred the young girl's mind- she likely would never un-see it. She wanted to know how he was doing.

Ina had left the room when Elise started screaming- to where, the brunette was unsure.

"Ina?" Elise called out cautiously. She waited, but got no answer. Slowly, she stepped back into the hallway, and started down the stairs.

With her heart rate slowing at a steady pace, Elise still felt uneasy. Who wouldn't? "Ina, where are you?" She asked the empty air again.

She couldn't help but marvel at the castle. It had obviously been quiet pretty once- though now it stood in ruin.

"Lease!" Ina's voice chirped excitedly. Her voice bounced off the cracking ice, so Elise wasn't sure where it was coming from. "You're finished screaming, huh? Good. 'Cause I need to talk to you about our agreement."

Elise arrived on the landing, and gazed around the room quickly. She hurried over to the balcony and peered down, immediately spotting her silver-haired cousin leaning against one of the icy fountains.

"Ina," Elise breathed, oddly relived. As much as she hated being here without her family, she didn't want to be alone. She hurried down the next staircase as fast as she dared, and jogged to stand next to Ina. The older girl smiled as Elise joined her.

"Hey, Right Hand." Ina joked affectionately.

Elise sighed, and tugged weakly on one of her braids. "About that . . . In- I mean, _Queen Elsa,_ um-" Elise blushed. Would Ina be mad at her if Elise didn't call her Queen? She got mad at everyone else, why not her? Elise straightened a little bit, trying to collect her question.

As if reading the younger girl's mind, Ina tilted her head. "You can call me Ina, Lease. I just didn't want anyone beneath me to call me that. I don't think _you're_ beneath me- so you can still use it."

"What- beneath you?" The only thing Elise really got from Ina's statement was that, yes, she could still call her Ina. The rest of it was just confusing.

In rolled her eyes and pushed away from the fountain. She began walking towards the stairs, expecting Elise to follow. She did. "Lease," Ina began. "Here, in this palace, I'm a Queen now. Everyone in a Kingdom falls underneath a Queen. It's like a chain; The Queen is at the top, followed by a Prince or Princess, then the rest of the family, then the townspeople, etcetera and so forth."

Elise shook her head. "I- that still doesn't make any sense. Why-"

Ina shook her head, but smiled as they reached the stairs. She turned suddenly, blocking Elise's way from the stairs. A given message that she didn't need to follow her anymore. "It doesn't matter." Ina stated bluntly. "All that matters is that you promised to help me become Queen. Okay? That's all you need to focus about."

Then Ina patted Elise's head like she were a toddler or a puppy, and then turned and continued up the stairs, her bare feet slapping against the cold ice.

"You stay warm," She called over her shoulder, with a joking tone in her voice. "I'll be right back."

Still confused, Elise just nodded. Ina disappeared around a corner at the top of the stairs, out of Elise's view.

The young princess wanted to cry. She wanted to curl up like a little girl and cry her eyes out. She wanted to be in her parents' arms, or have Sver in her arms. She wanted to know if he was okay, if he'd woken up. She wanted to go home.

But you couldn't always have what you wanted.

Elise retreated back to the fountain, sniffling. She could try to run, but she feared what Ina would do if she found out. It was weird to think that Ina would hurt her- but obviously she would. Elise reminded herself that she'd have to ask Ina why she hurt Sver like that.

The fourteen-year-old leaned against the fountain, like Ina had, and rubbed her tired eyes. Thinking was wearing her out.

She hurt an oddly weird thump, suddenly, but didn't dwell on it. Dwelling on things wouldn't do any good.

She felt useless- sitting around in an ice castle, with a confusing cousin, wasn't exactly helping anything. If she could just talk to Ina without getting interrupted, then _maybe_ she'd be doing something helpful.

Another sudden thump sounded, closer, which distracted Elise form her thoughts. She listened, though she knew it was close. It was weird; definitely loud, and it sounded like extremely heavy footfalls. Elise tilted her head, trying to hear more, when suddenly the door burst open.

And by that, I mean it shattered like a broken window.

Elise threw her hands up to protect her eyes from the sudden, tiny ice shards that flew across the room. A gust of wind from outside picked up Elise's cloak like a sail, and propelled her backwards a few feet until she found her footing.

Elise lowered her arm slightly, to see what had caused the door to shatter, and her blood ran cold at what she saw.

A scream was caught in Elise's throat as she starred at the giant snow creature in front of her. It was huge, and a small part of the princess wondered how it had gotten through the door. Ice spikes stuck from every one of its snowy limbs. It was enormous.

Terrified, Elise started backing up farther inside the castle, and twisted her head to yell for her cousin. "I-Ina!" Elise called out. She waited, but got no response. Why, of all times, did Ina have to be quiet _now_?

The giant snowman advanced towards her, his footfalls shaking the entire palace. He opened his mouth and let out a menacing roar, which sounded like it had one purpose: to frighten her. Something suddenly caught Elise's eye- a flash of orange amidst all the white sparkling snow-

"Olaf!" Elise gasped, in both fear and relief. Fear because he was appeared to be held captive in the monster's grip, but relief that he was there at all.

Olaf's orange nose slid down his face as he wiggled to free one of his twig arms, which he then used to wave frantically. "Hi, El-"

The monster roared again, and suddenly threw the smaller snowman. Directly at Elise. She didn't have time to jump out of the way before Olaf collided with the princess. She let out a grunt as the two toppled to the floor, Olaf falling apart in pieces.

"_Get out_!" The snowman screamed; its voice oddly deep. Elise was frozen in place with terror; she didn't move an inch. This day had been too hectic, too stressful. She was surprised she hadn't fainted from all the action. Elise cowered and tried to move backwards, while still staying close to Olaf. She wanted to run, to flee, but couldn't make herself do it. She couldn't even scream. Olaf- who had pieced himself together- huddled close to the brunette.

"Marshmallow's really angry today." Olaf stated, as if it hadn't been obvious. Elise dumbly nodded her head, and winced as the monster opened his mouth to yell again-

Before his eyes tilted upwards to the landed, and screamed in its direction instead. "Marshmallow" turned away from Elise and Olaf and moved toward the icy platform, swinging his arm violently. He didn't get a chance to hit his target- whatever it was- before he suddenly stopped.

"Do you want it?" A confident voice rang out, stunning the monster snowman to stillness. Elise craned her neck to look up at the landing, and wasn't surprised to see Ina. She was surprised, however, to see the crown dangling from her fingertip lazily.

"_Mine_!" The monster yelled, like a greedy child with an insanely deep voice. It reached for it, but Ina tilted away, so her body was in between Marshmallow and the tiara he seemed to want.

"I'll give it to you," She said in the same confident voice. She straightened her spine, and stared down the snowman. Standing on the landing, Ina was almost eye-to-eye with the snowman. He reached for it again, but once again she tilted it away.

"I'll give it to you," She repeated. "If you help me."

**. . . So . . . (please don't kill me, I'm sorry) How's it going?  
>Okay, I don't have any excuse. I've had exams and grads to attend and kids to babysit and jobs to work . . . that sounds like I'm making excuses. *sigh* I'm sorry. It's been, what, six weeks? That's forever and I apologize. I honestly never meant to not update. I could pretend that I had stuff written and forgot to upload it or something, but that'd be a lie. I was just lazy. I didn't write anything.<strong>

**Sorry.**

**But, hey, I watched the Fault in our Stars . . . twice . . . during my 2****nd**** unannounced hiatus. That's something, right? I hope so- cause that's basically the only important thing (to me) that I accomplished. **

**Happy Canada day! **


	27. Snowmen

Elise pulled away from Olaf, just a little, so get a better view of the confrontation happening above her.

"Help you?" Marshmallow rasped out, sounding as confused as Elise felt. Obviously, he had never been exposed to help before. Whether it was offering or accepting it, the snow-giant had little experience. Elise was actually surprised that he had responded at all- she honestly wouldn't have thought he'd be as intelligent as he was.

"Yes." Ina stated, plopping the crown back on her head. Marshmallow's spikes grew an inch longer seeing this- maybe because he didn't like her wearing it- but didn't roar at her. Ina looked satisfied, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You see, you protected this castle because your creator told you to. Right?" Ina tilted her head and smirked, as if she were taunting the snowman. He paused, before nodding his head. "Right. But, you see, your creator is not here. In fact, she hasn't come here for more than twenty years."

It didn't take Elise long to realize that Ina was talking about Elsa.

Marshmallow made a rolling growl-type noise in that back of what would be his throat. Ina tugged on her ice cape and took a step forward, grabbing the handrail and leaning forward.

"Why protect something she doesn't care about anymore?" The white-haired girl questioned. "What would be the point? She doesn't care about this place anymore."

Elise shared a look with Olaf. He was holding his carrot nose in his hand, and she returned it to his face before she turned to watch the rest of the confrontation between the giant snowman and the delicate looking girl.

"But," Ina started again, holding up one finger which she then pointed at herself. "She cares about _me_. See, I'm her daughter. I'm the most important thing in the world to her. But, she doesn't know how to protect me. She doesn't know how to protect _anyone_."

Ina moved slightly so her elbows were on the railing, and her hands cradled her chin. "This is where you come in. If you help me, if you protect us-" She lazily flicked a finger in Elise's direction. "-you'll be protecting people she cares about. Elsa will care about _you_ again. Don't you want that?"

Olaf squinted curiously at the two icy beings above. "What does Marshmallow have to protect you from?" He whispered, his innocent voice filled with confusion. Elise could only shrug. She was just as confused as he was.

"All I need you do to," Ina went on. "Is get us into Arendelle safely, and keep everyone- except my family- away from us."

Marshmallow didn't move for a moment. Could it be? Was he really considering it? Elise watched in amazement as the monster moved his icy eyes from Ina to Elise, and then back. Then he grunted.

"Fine." He boomed, not at all sounding thrilled about his agreement.

Ina, on the other hand, was extremely excited. She bounced on her bare toes and squealed like a little girl. "Wonderful!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands together tightly.

"I'm not doing this for you," Marshmallow reminded curtly. "I'm doing this for that-" he pointed at the tiara on Ina's head. "-and for Elsa."

Ina scoffed, but was still smiling. "Whatever," She brushed his comment off. "Just go stand guard outside. We'll call for you when it's time to go."

Marshmallow stood tall, watching as Ina swirled around and retreated back to whichever room she had come from. The big snowman glanced at Olaf and Elise as he turned, but thankfully didn't roar this time. Elise didn't relax until he passed back through the now empty doorway. Then she collapsed against Olaf's snowy shoulder.

"Why does she need him to protect us?" Elise gasped breathlessly, her eyes still on the doorway. The wind, which had been blocked by all the icy walls, now entered the castle through the broken door, causing the young princess to shiver.

Olaf shrugged his twig arms. "I dunno'. Maybe you should ask Ina."

Elise took a deep breath, and turned her eyes back towards the balcony. "Don't worry," She muttered, rising to her feet. "I will."

* * *

><p>Alek rubbed his temple- his glove clamped between his teeth while he did. They hadn't been traveling long, but the man was already beginning to feel ill. His head pounded and his brow was sweaty. He didn't quite feel nauseous, but he definitely didn't feel great.<p>

Kai, a royal advisor or something, found Alek in the late afternoon. The situation with the royal family, or at least what was known, was explained to Alek. Considering he was still half asleep, Alek didn't hear most of what the old man said, other than that he'd be paid for his services. He was brought to the castle, spoke briefly with Tomas, and then was sent on his way.

Except, of course, he had been sent on his way with two palace guards and two extra horses.

"I just don't get why the princess would run off in the first place," The younger of the two guards complained. It was probably the third time they'd brought this up. He patted the neck of his horse, and then leaned over and did the same to second horse, which was tied to his saddle bag.

When I said two extra horses, I meant the three men's _plus_ the two that the royals would ride. That was five horses to manage. And it was no easy feat. Both guards had another horse tied to them, and this slowed them down tremendously.

Alek dug his heels into his own horse's side, urging it to speed up a little.

"She takes after the Queen," The older man muttered. His horse neighed, as if in agreement, while Alek rolled his eyes. Slipping his glove back onto his hand and tightening his hold on the reins of his horse, Alek looked over his shoulder at the two men.

Alek hadn't known Tomas long. No more than two days. But the Lord trusted him with this mission- with finding his family. Despite being extremely grouchy at the moment, he couldn't refuse him. He knew that Tomas had to trust him a lot in order to put his family's safety in Alek's hands. So, not matter how awful he felt physically, he knew that finding the royals had to be his top priority.

"What, exactly, is the plan?" Alek stated bluntly after a second of silence. It was the first attempt at conversation Alek had made. The guards looked at each other in surprise, and then turned back to the man.

"I believe Lord Tomas has left the planning to you, Sir." The older guard said slowly. Alek had the vaguest idea that the man didn't like Alek making plans- which was unfair, because Alek could come up with some pretty decent ones when he needed too.

"Awesome." Alek mumbled, a touch of pride entering his tone. He tightened his hold on the reins, and dug his heels into the horse's side again- it let out a noise of protest, and Alek immediately stopped.

Alek glanced upwards, to where the mountain sloped upwards. It was an obvious plan, but it was deprived from the only piece of advice Kai had supplied him with. "We'll head north." He decided, nodding as he finalized it. "We'll either cut them off as they head down, or we'll catch up to them as they head up. If we don't find them by tomorrow at this time, we go back to Arendelle and get more help. Sound like a plan?"

"It sure does." The younger man chirped, nudging his horse as they moved through a snowbank. The older man huffed in agreement.

His headache pounded on, but Alek forced himself to ignore it. He just had to find the royal family, bring them home, and then everything would be okay. He'd even be paid for it (even though Alek knew he wouldn't accept the money- he was still Tomas's friend, and no matter how much work he'd do, it'd always feel like charity).

All he had to do was find the royals. How hard could it be?

* * *

><p>Ina clenched her fists together in anger and frustration. She was standing in a room Elsa created, likely with the intent of becoming a bedroom. Piles and piles of snow and ice lay around her- the cause of her frustration.<p>

Ina had been overjoyed to see the snow monster return. For a while, she thought he might never come back, or couldn't find a way out of the crevice. It would have been unfortunate, really, if he never returned. It would have messed with her plans.

But like she expected, Marshmallow returned. And after making one little promise she never intended to keep, he'd agreed to help them. How easy could this _get_?

Well, _a lot_ easier. If only the next part of her plan would work. Despite the snow-beast's return giving the Snow-Queen inspiration, her attempts had continued to fail.

"One more time . . ." She mumbled to herself, relaxing her fists as best she could. She sucked in a calming breath and stepped back- careful not to trip on her cape- and held her hands out in front of her.

The room's temperature dropped as soon as Ina's magic shot away from her. Freezing air shot away, along with the ice and snow; it would have chilled the girl, had she been ordinary. Her powers hit the ground, and immediately began rising. She couldn't help the smile that pulled on the corner of her lip as the creation began taking shape.

It's odd, sharp yet round feet formed first- soon leading up to its knees- and then what could be called a waist. The magic swirled around it like a dark cloud as it was built- a childlike laugh even escaped Ina's lips. The snowman's icy spikes shot out, sharp and dangerous, as its arms and shoulders appeared.

Ina took a step back, as if preparing to give it room to run about. Her attempts had all failed so far- how her mother had been able to create one so quickly was beyond the young girl. The head, a round boring stump with empty sockets for eyes and a crevice for a mouth, was the last of the snowman to form.

Ina stepped back, her hands held out if front of her, her eyes gleaming excitedly. She'd done it! She'd finally made one of the snow creatures! Ina let out another childish laugh, cupping her face to stop her smile from spreading.

The silver haired girl waited, nerves buzzing, preparing herself for the monster to move. Her fingers and toes tingled with anticipation- finally; _finally _she'd have made a living snowman! She stared on, nodding her head as if it'd urge the creature to move.

It didn't. Ina straightened her spine slightly, annoyed at the beast's lack-of-movement. Marshmallow had been very mobile- why wasn't _her_ creation moving? The Snow-Queen moved forward, raising a confused eyebrow. The snowman looked identical to Marshmallow, except that its ice spikes looked dirty, and it's snowy body seemed as if it'd been covered in a thin layer of grey ash.

Also, Marshmallow's eyes had glowed- Ina was sure of it. They had been a mysterious blue, hadn't they? But why did _her_ snowman- immovable and unanimated- only have empty sockets? Where was the glow that signaled it was a living thing?

Irritation crept up the teenager's spine, and she hastily stepped towards the monster. She glowered up at the snowman, and decided that that was all he was. A snowman. He wasn't _alive_ like Marshmallow, or even Olaf. He was just snow.

He didn't feel- not like the snowmen Elsa had created. He wasn't even a _he_- all it was, was an it. A thing. Not a living thing, even, just an object.

Ina let out an angry cry and kicked at the snowman's massive leg. Her bare toes did little, but it relived a tiny bit of her stress. She took a step back and released her magic- air and wind and anger. The snowman immediately was blown down. All that was left was a large pile of snow, with a few loose ice spikes sticking free as a reminder that her attempt had failed again.

"Why can't I do it?" Ina hissed aloud, a complaining tone entering her voice. She got no respond, not that she really expected one, but the empty air irritated her nonetheless. She groaned, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and tugging painfully. "I don't _get it_! What am I doing wrong?"

"Ina?" A voice called, leading the white-haired girl to whirl around. Elise was standing in the doorway, looking unsure, as her eyes flickered around the snowy room. Ina forced herself to relax her shoulders, and smile at her cousin. She wouldn't let the younger girl see her stress.

"Lease," She said, sounding surprised. Ina patted her hair, discreetly trying to smooth it down. She knew very well that the brunette had seen her little tantrum, but acknowledging that fact wouldn't help them get over that.

"What are you doing?" Elise questioned, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she stepped inside. Ina noted that her short brown braids swung around her face as she examined the snow piles.

Ina rolled her eyes, as if the answer were obvious. "I was trying to create another snow man. What good is a bodyguard if you only have one?"

Elise shook her head, confused, as tore her eyes away from her feet. "That doesn't make any sense." She pleaded. "Ina, why do you need bodyguards? What are you protecting yourself from?"

Ina turned away. She was really in no mood to answer questions. She felt she needed her cousin's trust, yes, but she didn't feel like gaining it right that second. To be honest, she was tired, and the disappointment of her failure added to that. She'd answer Elise's questions in the morning, but right then, she had no patience for them.

"Please, I need to know. You can't keep hiding these things from me!" Elise begged, her boots clicking against the ice as she moved towards her cousin. Ina sighed, and lifted a pale hand to rub her temple.

"Lease, I'll explain everything in the morning, but for now-"

"_No_!" The younger girl snapped, closing her eyes and fists as her yelled. Ina blinked up at her, surprised, as Elise continued speaking. "You need to tell me, Ina. You can't just- just _kidnap me_, and hurt my brother, and not give me any answers! I _want_ answers!

"I want you to tell me what's going on! I hate being confused, and not knowing what's happening! I want to know; right now!" Elise yelped, her face flaming.

Ina was impressed. She'd never heard Elise snap like that- apart from her argument with Cyril before the winter. Ina never thought the younger princess would yell at _her_- of course, considering the circumstances, she should have seen it coming- but oh well.

The blonde smirked, and crossed her arms over her chest. "One," She started softly. "I didn't kidnap you. Two, I didn't mean to hurt Sver. It was an accident- my emotions got the better of me, I swear it. And thirdly," Ina swirled around, heading deeper into the room. "I will give you answers. But not right now. In the morning."

"Ina-"

By now, the older girl was done with speaking. With a wave of her hand, Elise was suddenly being pushed out of the room. The wind Ina conjured came quickly, and slammed painfully into Elise's chest. It blew her braids over her shoulder, and picked her hat right off her head. She yelped, but Ina didn't let up. Elise's boots couldn't grasp any footing, and she was propelled backwards without her consent.

The wind didn't stop until Elise was outside the room, and when it did, she fell backwards. It took her a moment to gather her bearings, and by the time she did, the doors were being slammed shut.

_Did . . . did she just shove me out of the room with wind_? Elise glared up at the doors, now closed on her.

"Well, that didn't go well." A chirpy voice said nearby.

Elise turned, and smiled weakly at Olaf, whom was standing at the top of the stairs. She struggled to her feet. "Tell me about it," She groaned, scooping her hat from where it had been blown off.

Elise would never understand Ina. It was _impossible_. She gave vague, unpleasing answers, and didn't give any information without prodding. And she was intimidating to boot. Elise huffed, and stomped towards Olaf.

She had to find out what Ina was planning. Then she had to get the hell out of there.

**Hi. I don't like the Alek bit in here, but I figured I might as well remind people he existed, and that he was going after them in Tomas's place. The rest of the chapter was, obviously, Ina and Elise related. They won't show up in the next chapter, so I guess it's good they showed up a lot in this one? (Unless you hate them, ****and in Ina's case I'd totally understand****, then I'm sorry)**

**I'm sorry about the reviews being all messed up, hopefully things'll clean up later. **

**Bye for now!**


	28. Conversations

The sun was sinking over the mountains- casting orange and purple hues across the evening sky. Dark clouds were looming overhead, threatening to block out the moon as it rose. Tom squinted his eyes as he gazed through the trees up at the sky, before returning them back to earth.

They hadn't been walking long, only two or three hours, but the boys were already growing tired. Despite both of the boys getting a few hours' sleep the night before, they couldn't hold in their yawns anymore.

After spending most of the journey in silence, Cyril decided that talking would keep the two awake. He floundered around for a question to ask his cousin, before lamely coming up with;

"How are you doing?"

The eighteen-year-old wasn't very impressed with himself, to say the least. But he tilted his head, genuinely curious about the answer, and waited for Tom to respond.

Tom, though, had been surprised. Nobody had asked something so mundane the last few days. Everything had been hidden under awkward silences and avoidance of the problems at hand. So now that he was being asked, Tom wasn't a hundred percent _sure_ how he was doing.

"How am I doing?" He parroted, blinking as if it were a foreign phrase. Cyril nodded, his blond curls bouncing as he did.

"Well," Tom began, shoving his gloved hands into his pockets, "I . . . I'm fine, I guess. I mean, everything going on right now absolutely sucks, but I'm okay."

"Really?" Cyril asked, not sounding convinced at all.

Tom had to think for a moment. He might not be sure what he was feeling, but he knew what he wasn't. And he was _anything_ but okay.

"No, not really." Tom mumbled in defeat, staring down at his boots. He didn't offer up anything else, and Cyril didn't push. But it was surprising how much better Tom felt when he admited he wasn't okay.

Even if he'd only said three words to adknowledge it, it helped. He _wasn't_ fine. He was a mess. He wanted his father back, and the mere thought of him hurt so bad that Tom thought he'd have to hold onto his gut just to stop himself from falling apart. He hated seeing his mother trying to act so strong, when it was obvious that she was as broken as he was. And Ina . . . Tom couldn't even think about her right now.

"What about you?" Tom replied, attempting to steer the conversation off himself.

Cyril sighed, and turned so he was looking staight ahead. "Everything's so messed up." He muttered, not offering any thing else. He didn't have to. Tom knew exactly what he meant.

The sun had set, and the sky was now a mix of purples and blues. The dark lighting wasn't the best for seeing, but Tom was confident when he freed a hand from his pocket to point in front of himself at an odd rock formation.

"Is that it?" He asked, leaning towards his cousin slightly. Cyril slouched for a moment, and followed Tom's finger with his eyes.

"Yep," He muttered, beginning to speed up. "That's it."

* * *

><p><em>The summer sun bet down upon the earth, warming everyone and everything that its ray's touched. Women were fanning themselves with whatever they could find- old papers and even thin pieces of wood. The men that were out in the sun just wiped their sweat on their shirtsleeves. Most of the town's children were out playing, racing down by the beaches or chasing one another through the streets. <em>

_One boy wasn't- his skin was burnt from the many hours out in the sun, and he was sweating just as the grown men did. His dark hair was slick- curling in the humidity and sticking to his forehead- and his dark eyes were staring straight ahead. He was lugging a heavy bucket filled to the brim with water, and his skinny arms struggled under the weight. _

_The boy's father had gone missing the year before- whether he had left or died during a hunt, no one was sure. The only thing everyone was sure of was that the man had gone missing, forcing the now eight-year-old to become the man of the house. _

_Because he was concentrating so hard on not spilling the water, the boy didn't notice the footsteps getting louder. He only realized someone was next to him when their arms were being thrown around his shoulders. _

"_Hey!" He complained, trying to regain his balance and even out the sudden weight change. Someone, the person who hugged him, giggled, and pulled away so quickly that he stumbled again. He let out a groan as he saw the water in the bucket slosh at the sides, and partly spilled over onto the dirt path._

"_What was that for?" The boy grumbled, turning to glare at the pretty dark-haired girl smiling at him. Amelie tilted her head, her loose hair tumbling around her shoulders. _

"_No reason." She said in a playful singsong voice. Without a word, she took the bucket from her younger brother, and began plodding down the path towards their house. "Is this for Mama?" She asked casually, glancing over her shoulder as she walked. The boy nodded._

_Tomas sulked as he followed his sister up the path. Whenever she carried the water in the house, she'd get the credit. Even though he'd been the one to carry it all the way up the hill. It wasn't fair, but by now he knew that arguing was pointless. The last time he'd tried to rat her out, Amelie had ran in the house crying, and told their mother Tomas hit her (a complete lie, by the way, not that their mother believed him when he defended himself). _

"_So, did you see the Princes today?" Amelie asked out of the blue, swinging her hair over her shoulder. She tried not to look to interested, but Tomas saw right through her. He knew very well that she liked the Princes, and was jealous whenever he spent time with them._

"_Of course I did," He said, trying to sound smug. "Ter is my friend! I see him every day."_

_Amelie rolled her eyes, once again trying to act casual. "Tommy, you shouldn't call him that. He's a Prince- you should call him by his full name." She reminded. Despite said Prince only being her age, a mere ten years, she always thought he had to be held to a high regard. His brother, the future King, even more so. _

"_You want me to call him Prince Terrance? No, he hates being called that- it sounds so . . ."_

"_Mature?"_

"_Yeah, mature. And we both hate that. Mature. Bleh. No, he's just Ter." Tomas said firmly, giving one curt nod as if it'd solidifying his statement._

"_Whatever, Tommy." Amelie mumbled. Her face suddenly lit up, and she turned to her brother with an excited look. "Race you to the house," She offered. "Whoever gets there first can take the credit." She nodded down at the bucket in her hands._

_Tomas thought for a moment- Amelie had longer legs, and was faster, but it'd be more even if she was holding the bucket. In fact, it made his chances look good. _

_He smiled, his competitive mature blooming. "Deal."_

_Amelie matched the grin, and bent her knees- preparing to break into a sprint. "On three." She decided. "One,"_

"_Two," Tomas filled in. _

"_Three!" The kids shouted in unison, not wasting a second to being running. Amelie might have been faster, but Tomas was motivated. _

_Tomas's bare feet knew exactly where to step, how to avoid the sharp stones and when to jump over potholes. His blood pumped loudly in his ears and his lungs burned as the house neared. He could near Amelie laughing near his side._

_He glanced at her, and could see that he had gained a few feet. The water was sloshing out of the bucket steadily now, and at this rate, they'd have to refill it. But he couldn't seem to care._

_Tomas turned forward again, the air brushing his hair off his sweaty forehead, and he let go his out peel of laughter. _

Tomas groaned, wrinkling his forehead as he awoke from his sleep. He wasn't completely sure if it had been a memory, or if it had been a dream, but he supposed it didn't matter. It _felt real_, so he was leaning toward memory. A memory of the time when he'd actually considered Amelie his sister.

Tomas didn't bother opening his eyes as he stretched, but a sharp pain running through his arm brought back the reality of his injuries. He cracked an eye open, almost surprised to see the room was pitch black.

_Dark. It must still be night_, Tomas decided. It had still been daylight when he'd fallen asleep- late afternoon, maybe. What time would it be now? He was still extremely tired, so he'd likely only gotten a few hours' sleep. If he'd gone to bed at four, and got around five hours sleep, say, that meant it was probably only eight or nine at night.

Tomas awkwardly shuffled out of bed, trying to avoid his sling-clad arm, and hobbled towards the window. He peered around the curtain, and squinted. The last streaks of pink were disappearing on the horizon. Yep, early night.

Sadly, Tomas noted that it was one more day without his family returning.

He leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, trying desperately to calm himself. It wasn't working.

_Please_, he mentally begged. _Just come home_.

* * *

><p>Kristoff eyed the sleeping boy on his shoulder worriedly. Sver hadn't woken again, and his breath was shallow. Consistent, yes, but it didn't ease away the concern at all. His arms dangled lifelessly over Kristoff's shoulders.<p>

Anna couldn't take her eyes off her son either. She wanted to hold him, but he looked so breakable. So incredibly frail. She felt like he'd crumble if she took him from Kristoff's arms.

The red-haired woman rubbed her forehead, trying to ignore the migraine that had developed and the nausea bubbling in her stomach. It was the _least _of her problems. And at the moment, she had a lot.

Anna turned her attention back to Elise- oh god, Anna hoped she was okay. Anna hadn't wanted to leave her, but they just didn't have time to argue about it. They had to get Sver out of there, and back to Arendelle.

She hated leaving her daughter there, yes, but she didn't regret her decision to get Sver home. If she had to, Elise could handle herself pretty well. Sver was the real concern.

It had grown dark, and it was hard to see far in front of them. Kristoff lit a branch on fire, to act as a torch, as soon as they reached the treeline- and passed it off to Elsa. It burned out quickly, and constantly had to replaced, but offered enough light that vision wasn't as issue.

Anna could feel bile slowly rising in her throat, and she winced as she swallowed it down. _Ugh_, she hated this. It was absolutely disgusting, but it would've been more tolerable if they'd have been at home, with sunny summer weather warming the princess's skin. Anna groaned quietly, desperately craving warm weather, and maybe a pail she could vomit in.

Elsa heard her sister's ill noise, and looked over with a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?" She asked nervously, knotting and unknotting her fingers as if she wanted to help but didn't know how.

Anna weakly waved away her concerns. "you don't need to worry about me," She muttered in an almost grouchy voice. "It's just a little morning sickness."

She paused at the last sentence. She'd have avoided those words yesterday, but now it wasn't a secret anymore. She'd prefer it to be, but it wasn't her choice anymore.

Elsa bit her lip, her eyes flickering from her feet to her sister's face. She'd honestly thought Anna was done having kids after Sver. _Who knows, maybe this one wasn't planned_- Okay, ew. Elsa did _not_ want to think about that. Instead she glanced at Sver, still unconscious. If he turned out to be okay, if he wasn't fatally injured, he'd be a big brother one day. It was odd to think of him as anything other than the baby of the family.

But Elsa was beginning to realize that thinking about the new baby was a pleasant distraction from all the un-pleasantries happening around them.

"How far along are you?" Elsa asked bluntly, pointing her chin towards Anna's abdomen. Kristoff glanced over his shoulder then- his hands cradling Sver a tad bit more secure than he formally had been. Anna squared her shoulders a little, before shrugging them.

"About six weeks." She answered weakly, turning her eyes down to her lower stomach. "Maybe a little more. You know I've never been good at keeping track of that kind of stuff."

Elsa nodded. She did know. She could clearly remember when Anna was pregnant with Elise, she'd completely given up keeping track of how far along she was. Elsa and Kristoff had to do it for her. In fact, the younger woman had even said, "Sheesh, I don't remember being this big with Cyril at four months." And Elsa had had to remind her that she was five months along, not four. Anna had always been awful at measuring time.

Anna closed her eyes, and took a deep breath in through the nose. Her stomach flipped, and she had the horrible feeling that she'd throw up right then. She really didn't want to. Vomiting was her least favorite part about pregnancy- including birth (of course, she'd change her mind about that as soon as the delivery started, like she did every time).

Of all the problems she managed to have, why did she have to focus on illness?

Probably because it was the least painful.

Wallowing so deep in self-pity, Anna almost didn't notice her husband speaking.

". . . is that?" was the only part she caught.

"Huh?" She mumbled stupidly, blinking herself back to the current situation. She peered at her husband in the dark, and saw that one of his hands were extended, and pointed in the direction they were heading.

"What is that?" Kristoff repeated, leaning forward as if it'd help his vision. He returned his hand to Sver, rearranging the boy in his arms slightly, but his eyes never left the horizon. No one noticed they'd stopped walking.

Elsa and Anna shared a quick look, before they too peered in the same direction as Kristoff. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust, and even when they did, it was still hard to see. All they could see was a faint orange glow.

"Is that . . ." Anna began, confusion taking over her tone.

"Fire?" Elsa finished for her, taking a step forward.

And it was. It wasn't a large, raging fire, but a small one- one that night burn on a touch. A simple flame.

"I think it's a lantern." Kristoff noted squinting. "Like the ones I used to have on my sled."

Lanterns. The ones that were safe for riding. Could that mean someone had come after them? Could it mean-

"You're Majesties!" A voice called faintly in the distance, confirming the train of thought Anna had been led down. Someone, guards perhaps, had been sent after the family. And not a moment too soon. The adults could near the faint whines of horses- thank god, Anna could've cried out for that.

"We're here!" They cried, waving their arms wildly. Elsa held their make-shift torch high, swinging it to attract attention.

The distant figures began nearing, and Anna absentmindedly collapsed against Elsa. The sisters hugged each other, Anna on the verge of weeping. They could get Sver home much faster this way- he'd have a much better chance the sooner they got home.

Elsa held her sister tight, watching as the men clad in guard uniforms neared. She didn't realise how concerned she was until they came into view, giving her hope the Queen didn't know she needed. She looked at Kristoff then, and saw that he was kissing Sver's temple, murmuring comforting words the boy probably couldn't near.

Neither woman would admit that they were taking more comfort from his words then Sver ever would.

* * *

><p><strong>I never know how to end chapters. Oh well. <strong>

**I'll admit, most of this was done in one sitting, so there's probably a lot of mistakes. Feel free to point them out! Please, it'll be really helpful for future fics and future chapters. **

**And yeah, just a random little Tomas/Amelie flashback thrown in 'cause why not?**

**Okay, bye for now!**


	29. The Trolls

Tom had never been to the Valley of the Living Rock. He'd heard about it many times from his cousins and uncles, but he had never gone. Neither had his parents or sister- it just always seemed like Anna's family's thing. After all, the trolls were _Kristoff's_ family, not Tom's.

But Tom couldn't help be amazed when he arrived. The Valley itself was fairly level, though there were a few small hills. A hot spring greeted them as they moved towards the valley center, but Cyril wouldn't let them stop. If he squinted, Tom could make out the mountains in the not-at-all far distance.

The trolls were another thing all together. Cyril had described them on the way, but it did little to prepare the prince. He had stood on a rock to try and get a better view of the valley, and was not at all prepared for the thing to roll from underneath him.

He really hadn't wanted that to be his first experience with the mystical troll.

"Why'd you step on me?" It- excuse me, _he_- complained as soon as Tom's foot wasn't on top of him. He uncurled from his boulder state, his arms falling from their curled up position to rest by his round side. Tom staggered back in surprise, a gasp trapped in his throat. The troll glared at the boy, but his expression softened as soon as Cyril kneeled to his level.

"Cyril!" The troll-man called, opening his arms as if for a hug. "Wow, you look so much like your Papa when he was your age!"

At the sound of the blonde's name, more boulders uncurled to reveal their true troll appearance. What Tom had originally thought to be moss on the rocks turned out to be odd grass capes and cloaks the trolls wore. He blinked his eyes, his mouth hanging open. Cyril grinned at the younger boy's expression, before being swarmed by the trolls.

Tom could hear things such as "How's your father?" and "you look hungry, let me get you something," being said to the older prince. Cyril kindly answered and refused, his eyes scanning over the gray faces- obviously trying to find a specific one.

"And who are you?"

Tom blinked, and glanced down. A small troll, a child maybe, was looking up at him with a tilter head. A mystical troll was talking to him. A kid, maybe, but a troll all the same. He couldn't wait to tell him Mama.

"I'm Tom." He said, lamely. He silently noticed that this was the only troll paying attention to him- the rest were all focused on Cyril. He pointed a thumb in the young man's direction. "His cousin."

The troll then shrugged and turned away, leaving Tom by himself.

He vaguely remembered Cyril describing them as warmer than this.

Cyril's brows furrowed suddenly, and his voice made Tom look over. "Where's grand Pabbie?" He asked, never really directing the question at anyone specific.

"I'll get him!" The same child troll that had spoken to Tom called out, and immediately rolled back into a ball. Tom was confused for a moment, before the thing began rolling away. Tom gaped. This place would never stop surprising him, would it?

The trolls were amazing- and nothing less. Cyril seemed completely at ease with them, picking up the kids and swinging them through the air as if they were human children. He'd stop and talk to the over-excited adults, and one had even pulled at his clothes demanding they be washed.

Tom couldn't hold back his laugh when a troll lifted Cyril's hat and tugged on his curls, bluntly informing the young man that he needed to get a haircut, or else said troll would cut it for him.

"What about him!" Cyril had laughed, pointing a gloved finger towards the younger boy. "His hair's longer than mine!"

Tom had lifted a hand to his dark hair defensively, and suspiciously eyed a troll that neared him with eyes trained on his curls.

The playfulness was cut short when the child troll returned- another one in tow. Even before he uncurled from his boulder state, Tom knew who he was.

"Grand Pabbie." Cyril breathed, rushing away from the other trolls towards the new arrival. The troll- Grand Pabbie- waved Cyril towards him, and gestured that they move away from the others. Tom immediately moved with them, jogging to catch up to their surprisingly fast strides.

"So you're the crown Prince, I suppose?" Pabbie asked as Tom joined them. He nodded.

"We wanted to hear what you said about Ina again. It's important." Cyril said urgently.

"She's caused the winter, hasn't she?" Grand Pabbie said sadly, and then he shook his head when the boys didn't respond right away. Cyril and Tom shared a quick look.

"Can you tell me what happened in your . . .vison?" Tom felt silly using the word, but couldn't think of any other way to describe it. Grand Pabbie nodded though, and Tom felt comforted knowing he knew what he meant.

"My vison." Grand Pabbie repeated seriously. He then turned away from the boys, and cast his hands upwards. It appeared like blue smoke, almost, and it danced upwards. It took the form of a woman, and Tom recognized it at as silhouette of his sister. Well, his sister as the Snow Queen. He squinted in confusion as the image turned red, and a gurgling laugh filled his ears. Only a pulse of blue was visible amongst the sea of red, before the image disappeared altogether.

"Years ago," Grand Pabbie began. "I had a vison. It was of Ina- but not the young girl she was at the time. It was Ina when she was grown, as she is now. She cast Arendelle into a winter, cold and vicious. She didn't feel . . . well, _mercy_. Nothing. In my vison she laughed as the people froze, and ruled a frozen kingdom."

Grand Pabbie glanced at the boys' expressions, to see if they were following. "She cannot love." He explained bluntly. "She only cares for herself, and her own needs. If she needs to destroy Arendelle to fulfill them . . . she will. She is cold, and dangerous, and unloving, and powerful. Just like ice. While your mother-" he directed this part at Tom "-has the good traits ice possess, Ina contains the bad ones. Do you understand?"

"So . . ." Tom mumbled in confusion. "Ina isn't . . . good? Is that what you're saying?"

Grand Pabbie shrugged, an oddly casual gesture considering the situation. "More or less."

Cyril and Tom exchanged another look. Cyril's was almost sympathetic, but Tom's was unreadable. If Ina wasn't good, it meant she was bad. And no matter what she did, it was still hard to see her like that. Bad. She did bad things, but was _she_ bad?

Tom opened his mouth to ask a question, but Cyril's voice cut him off.

"We should go." The blonde coughed, lifting his hat off his head so he could brush his hair off his forehead. When Tom glared at him, Cyril simply tilted his head. "Mama said to be home by sunrise. If we want to make it in time, we should go."

"Is that all you wanted to hear?" Grand Pabbie questioned, directing it more to Tom than to Cyril. The younger boy watched as Cyril collected himself and patted Grand Pabbie's shoulder, before nodding.

"Yeah, I guess that was it."

Tom his arms over his head and straightened his vest. Cyril had left his side to say goodbye to a few of the other trolls, and Tom turned to join him.

"Tomas," Grand Pabbie said softly, grabbing the boy's arm with a surprisingly gentle grip.

"It's, uh," The teenager stuttered. "It's Tom. Not Tomas."

Grand Pabbie gave him a half apologetic look. "Tom," He corrected himself. "There is one thing I need you to do for me." The old rock said firmly.

Surprised, the prince slid down onto one knee into a kneel. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to stay away from Ina."

Shocked, Tom jolted backwards. "What? No-"

"Please," Grand Pabbie interrupted. "This is the one thing I ask of you. Stay away from your sister. I see dangerous ice in her heart. She wants one thing, and one thing only, and you happen to be standing in her way."

The throne. Tom knew she wanted it, yes, but was he really the only thing that stood in her way? Surely there were other matters, like how she wasn't of age and that she still had a lot to learn-

Oh. He meant he was the only one in her way in the royal line.

That made so much more sense.

"You think she'll hurt me to get the throne?" Tom voiced, wrinkling his nose in disbelief. "That's insane, there's no way Ina would do something like that."

"I bet you said the same thing about her freezing summer. But she did that too, didn't she?"

Tom stopped to think for a moment. It's true- she had done that. But would she really get rid of her own brother, just so she'd be Queen?

"Promise me you'll stay away from your sister until the ice melts. _Promise_ me."

"I-"

Could he really promise something like that? To give up on his sister?

_You're not giving up on your sister_, Tom reminded himself. _You're giving up on what she's become- the snow Queen. Ina might not try to hurt you, but the Snow Queen will_.

"I promise." He muttered, his eyes widening at the sound of his own voice. He realized as he said it that he was a hundred percent willing to keep that promise. He wanted to keep it.

"Good. Thank you, Tom." Grand Pabbie breathed, patting the kneeling boy on the shoulder. The boulder seemed to relax once Tom spoke, at least slightly.

"Go," Grand Pabbie urged, nodding towards Cyril, whom was being weighed down by a few troll-children. "I'm sure your parents are waiting for you."

He turned away before Tom could speak, leaving the baffled teen alone again.

"I . . . alright." The prince muttered, despite the elder having already left. _Stay away from your sister . ._ . Tom numbly nodded his head. He could do that. He could stay away.

Tom staggered to his feet a moment later, and jogged towards his cousin.

* * *

><p>The leather reins in the Queen's hands felt awkward. She had never been much of a rider, despite being taught how long ago. The horse beneath her was steady, at least; its body moving in a comforting rhythm. Even though she was sure the animal wouldn't try to throw her, The Queen couldn't help but be nervous whenever it made a sudden jerk to the side, or an unpleased noise. Elsa had to admit that the ride might have been easier, if not for her sister seated behind her.<p>

Anna's arms were wrapped loosely around the Queen- her face buried between the older woman's shoulder blades. At first, Elsa had been afraid she'd put herself in that position so she could cry without anyone seeing. But the redhead's even breathing and loose hold just proved that she was instead sleeping. An odd place to fall asleep, perhaps, but the Queen was glad Anna was getting some rest at all.

"We should be arriving in Arendelle within an hour or two." A guard a few yards ahead called. Elsa's horse whined at his comment- almost as if he understood. The Queen cautiously patted the thing's neck, before returning her hand to the reins.

Trying not to shift too much and disturb Anna, Elsa turned her eyes to Kristoff. He was riding his own horse- Gunther. One hand was gripping the reins, the other wrapped tightly around his son. Just after they had met up with the guards, Kristoff had lifted Sver's jacket to examine his back. Elsa wasn't able to get a good look at the injury in the dark, but Kristoff's pale face and demand that they hurry said enough.

Once, not long after Anna had fallen asleep, Kristoff tried to wake the boy. Sver didn't respond- he didn't make a single sound. Kristoff had met Elsa's gaze then- a stressed understanding passing between them. With a snap of the reins, they both hurried their pace, the guards did as well soon after.

"So tell me again what the princess said. When you went to the, uh, ice palace."

Alek's voice surprised the Queen, and her eyes flickered back to him. She had recognized him from their fatal ship, but she wasn't completely sure why he was with them now. When asked, Alek simply said he'd explain it back in Arendelle.

"Well," Elsa began, trying to straighten her spine despite Anna leaning into it. "She . . . she said a lot. But nothing that made sense. She said something about being passed down the family line, and that she couldn't do it anymore. She just- she wasn't acting like _herself_. And she said-" Elsa sighed, and rubbed her forehead. "-she said she meant to freeze the fjord. That- that's ridiculous, don't you think?"

The man's hesitation was not a comfort.

He glanced down at his gloved hands, his lip trapped between his teeth. His eyes flickered as he thought, and the Queen forced herself not to prod for his response.

"I think," He said slowly, as if testing the waters. "That she's a very unpredictable girl."

_That's not an answer_, Elsa wanted to say, but she held her comment back. He didn't know her well enough; that was all. If he knew her, he'd see that she was a regular girl- one that wouldn't mean to hurt her people.

_Maybe she was just afraid to admit she'd lost control_, Elsa thought. _She was just afraid we'd be mad at her is all- she was just scared, so she pretended she meant to_.

_She was scared, like I was. Scared. That's all_.

The Queen didn't even notice she was making excuses, but she didn't care. As they repeated in her mind, the lies slowly became more believable. The harder she thought about them, the more she could picture Ina's fearful expression opposed to the sly look she had actually possessed. Reality began to blur, until the Queen had convinced herself.

"Ina didn't mean to do it," Elsa said aloud. "She was just scared. She'll undo all of this when she calms down."

Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa could see Kristoff look at her over his shoulder, and feel the eyes of the guard walking behind her bore into her back. She desperately tried to ignore them- she didn't need their doubt ruining her new theory about Ina.

Her daughter wouldn't hurt them. She would freeze Arendelle. She wouldn't freeze the fjord, and she certainly wouldn't have hurt Sver if she could've controlled it.

She was just scared 'is all.

**Hi guys, sorry for the wait! I've been super busy, busier than I expected, and I'll probably be busy until Christmas. I'll still be writing this story, don't worry about that! All I mean is that I'm not sure how much time there will be between chapters. There could be a new one up in two days, or a new one in two months. Who knows. (though I'll really try not to wait two months again before posting).**

**Thanks for hanging around so long and dealing with the long waits!**

**(PS: there'll be a little family reunion in the next chapter, so you have that to look forward to!)**

**(PPS: this one was super rushed (written in one sitting, WOO!) so there is probably a ton of mistakes and I'm sorry about that. Whoever can count the most mistakes in this chapter wins my eternal love, okay?)**


	30. IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Hi.

Yeah, long time no post- I know.

I'm sorry- seriously and tremendously sorry. I've honestly been meaning to update for a while now- but I just can't. I'm sorry.

I mean, I keep _trying_ to write- of course I do. I have three chapters I've STARTED writing, but I just don't enjoy any of them enough to finish them. I'm suffering from some serious writers block over here, and it is. Driving. Me. CRAZY.

So, I've decided to put Frozen Heart on pause for a little bit.

Don't hate me! I'm sorry, but I think it's for the best for the story. I need time to regroup, re-plan, and rewrite. When I started this, I really rushed into it. I didn't have the plot completely figured out, I didn't proof read very well, it was all just . . . well, it was sloppy.

So it'll be on pause for a while. I'm not giving up on it, just taking a break.

I'm still deciding on whether or not just to change a few things, or rewrite the fic entirely. There are some parts I really wished I'd have added when I had the chance, and some I really want to take out. And the spelling/grammar mistakes . . . yeesh, I've made a lot.

(By the way, thanks for pointing out the mistakes I hadn't noticed and offering spelling/grammar advice- I think it's really going to help me in the future!)

Also, I think I want to change the title too- I've had a few ideas bouncing around in my head for a while for a new one. Honestly, I'm leaning more towards rewriting it all. I don't know. What do you guys think?

I'm sorry for not updating in a while, and I'm sorry for putting the fic on pause.

I also want to focus on my other fics for a bit. "But _you said_ Frozen Heart and Arendelle Adventures were your top priority-" I know. They still are, trust me. I'm pausing Frozen Heart so I can improve it, and Arendelle Adventures is one of the stories I want to focus on.

I've been stressing over what I'm going to do with Frozen Heart for so long that it's prevented me from updating anything else. Pausing it is honestly the only answer I can come up with.

Let me know what you guys think about all this, I'm greatly sorry, and um . . . yeah. That's about it. Let me know what you think about all this, and what you guys think I should do (be that plot changes/ advice/and even just opinions on what I've written so far).

Thank you for sticking with Frozen Heart up until this point, I can't thank you enough! And once again, I'm sorry for stopping it (temporarily).


	31. ANOTHER IMPORTANT THOUGH OPTIONAL UPDATE

_**News Update!**_

Hey guys! How has everyone been? Mad that I haven't given anyone any news? Yeah, sorry about that. I've been very busy (birthday, Christmas, new years coming up, babysitting, school, ect..) but I _have_ found time to plan, like I said I would. I still need to get everything (plot wise) cleaned up and decided on, but I'm not too worried.

Anyway, I said I'd give you guys some news on Frozen Heart before the new year, so here it is.

* * *

><p>*I'm going to post it as an entirely new fic; which basically means I'm rewriting it. I'll leave this one up for a while after the new one's posted, of course, but sooner or later I'll have to take it down. I think. I'm pretty sure the guidelines said something about that…I'll have to go read them. I don't know when I'll have the first chapter written, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I still have a lot to do, so it'll probably take a while. Just bear with me.<p>

* * *

><p>*The name. 500 fics on involve the name Frozen Heart. And that's just the Frozen ones; altogether, there's about 1.5 thousand. Do you guys really want to go through 1.5 thousand fics just to find mine? I wouldn't. So the name, I think, will change. Not anything drastic; maybe just "Frozen Heart: blankity-blank-blank" or something similar. Not a real big deal.<p>

* * *

><p>*I definitely want to changeremove the Amelie subplot. I rushed it, which is ironic because I actually forgot to include it as early as I'd planned, and the story suffered. I skimmed over an unimportant backstory and tried to make a big deal out of something that really made no difference to the main plot. Also, I just don't enjoy writing that subplot anymore. So, it will either be removed and replaced, or altered.

* * *

><p>*Minor characters. I want to cut a few, and add a few. One specific cutie called: Sven. Yeah. I want Sven back. I regret leaving him out; the only reason I did was because Wikipedia said they only lived to be 15 or something. But forget it, I want him back in the story. Oh- and there's a few OCs I was going to include, but decided last minute to leave them out. Now, however, I decided to include them. So…watch for them.<p>

* * *

><p>*The ending (which none of you knew anyway) didn't change much, but I did decide to edit one little thing. Completely unimportant. In fact, I dunno why I'm telling you, because you didn't know what it was in the first place anyway. Maybe to make the list longer?<p>

_**LIGHTNING ROUND! Random, small decisions!**_

* * *

><p>*I'm going to take a lot more time editing this time around.<p>

*Hopefully, the story won't be told from as many perspectives as it was.

*Alek is being cut out (technically his spot is being given back to his namesake but shhh…)

*The order of some plot events might change

*Characters will have more time to show off their personalities

*Tom will POSSIBLY be given another nickname, to different him from his dad more.

*Ina will no longer be a carbon copy of her mother! Yay!

*The kids will make begin appearances in my other fic, Arendelle Adventures, really soon!

*The ice castle bit is being changed, so though the plot will be much the same, the locations might be different.

* Some (fairly minor) physical changes will be made to the characters. (different hairstyles/going into more description about their clothes ect..)

* * *

><p>These decisions are all jumbled and probably make no sense, but so far it's all I'm ready to share. I don't know when I'll be ready to start posting, but I'm sure it'll be a few months. I'm sorry for making everyone wait so long, and I appreciate you patient you've all been with me. I think I'll post some progress reports, maybe monthly, just to let you all know when I suspect it'll be ready.<p>

Thank you for sticking around as long as you have, I appreciate you guys so much.

Bye for now!


	32. JUST A LITTLE CHECK-IN

Hey! Long-time no write, right? (No writing in general actually- I haven't updated AA in two months whoops)

God, this year has been so busy lately! I'm on the search for my first job, the school musical is taking up a ton of my after school time, and I got a puppy! Man, that cutie requires a lot of attention. He's like a toddler- a furry toddler that bites sometimes and is basically too heavy to hold already.

Anyway, it's been busy. I haven't had a ton of time to write, but I HAVE found time to roughly plan out the entire main plot of the new Frozen Heart! WOO!

So, here's what I have planned (without major spoilers) so far:

* * *

><p>-There will be 45 chapters (47 if you include the prologue and the epilogue).<p>

-I am for certain removing the Amelie subplot. I still like the idea of Tomas having a sister, but she's just not important to the main story anymore, so I'm leaving her out.

-The 2 new characters I told you about are named Alexi and Nese (pronouced nesh-ay).

-Alek (whom I am removing) was named after Alexi.

-Alexi and Nese are NOT members of the royal family.

-Elsa's ice castle will not be present in the story as much as it was the first time around. I think I mentioned this already.

-As I mentioned before, I _do_ want to give Tom a nickname. "But Tom IS his nickname-" yeah, I know, but I need him to have another one. Just so it's not as confusing if Tom and Tomas are in the same scene. (I'm kind of thinking Tao- I don't know. What do you guys think?)

-The prologue is going to be 14 years before the main story, instead of 7/8 like it originally was.

-The epilogue will be 5 years after the main story, instead of the half-year to a year that I'd originally planned.

* * *

><p>Anyway, just a quick check in, since I said I'd give you guys some updates. I feel a lot better now writing without time limits instead of with them like I was the first time around. Now that I have the story planned, I hope to get some of it actually <em>written<em>. Also, I really need to post that Christmas fic for AA. It's been sitting un-edited on my computer since BEFORE the new year. And the requests. I asked for them, and then never posted them. I'm the worst.

Yeah, I'll talk to you guys soon, bye!


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